Attachment is adaptive and innate
Bowlby’s theory is an evolutionary theory because, in his opinion, attachment
has evolved because it helps us to survive and reproduce. According to
Bowlby, infants have an innate (inborn) drive to become attached to a
caregiver because attachment has long-term benefits. Attachment ensures
that an infant stays close to a caregiver who will feed and protect the young
baby. Therefore, attachment is an adaptive behaviour that increases the
likelihood of survival and reproduction. Infants who do not become attached
are less likely to survive and reproduce because they do not have someone to
feed and protect them. Infants are born with an innate drive to become
attached (there isn’t one specific attachment gene but lots of genes that are
involved in this behaviour).
Critical period
Bowlby believed there is a limited window for attachment to take place; a
critical period. Bowlby applied this concept of a critical period to
attachment, suggesting that the period from six months to 2.5/3 years is a
critical period for the development of the attachment and a relationship must
be formed during this specific period. If it had not formed by this time,
Bowlby believed it would be impossible for a child to form a strong
attachment. However, he later modified this concept in his theory to a
sensitive period, stating that the infant-parent attachment relationship will
develop more easily up to the age of 3 years and after the sensitive period,
this first attachment relationship can still develop, but it is more difficult. As
the months pass it may become harder to form infant-caregiver attachments.
Care-giving is reciprocal
It isn’t just the drive to attach that’s innate but the drive to care for an infant
is also innate (inborn). This is because it is adaptive – it helps the survival of
offspring. Infants are born with certain characteristics called social releasers
which make a caregiver want to provide for an infant. These social releasers
include smiling and crying – most people smile back at a baby or feel
uncomfortable when they hear a baby cry. Another example of a social
releaser is the simple appeal of a baby’s face (the baby face hypothesis –
facial features which trigger caring behaviour). Attachment is innate in
babies; care-giving is the innate response in adults. Both provide protection
and enhance survival. The formation of attachments depends on the
interaction of these systems.
Attachment
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A secure base
Attachment is important for protection and a caregiver acts as a secure base
from which a child can explore the world and a safe place to return to when
threatened. Attachment therefore encourages independence.
Internal working model
Bowlby thought that the attachment we have with our first care-giver creates
an expectation about what all future relationships are like. Gradually the
infant develops a model about emotional relationships which is called an
internal working model. This ‘model’ is a group of ideas about
relationships and what to expect from other people. This relationship might
be a positive one full of love, trust and happiness or a negative one full of
uncertain and inconsistency. For example, this first attachment influences
whether relationships involve consistent or inconsistent love or whether they
make you feel good or anxious.
Monotropy and hierarchy
Bowlby believed that infants form a number of attachments but one of these
has special importance. This is called the primary attachment or monotropy.
The one special attachment is usually an infants’ mother, but not always.
Bowlby believed that the person who responds most sensitively to an infant is
the monotropic figure – an infant becomes strongly attached to the person
who responds most sensitively to the infant’s crying or smiling. This person
becomes the infant’s primary attachment figure and provides the foundation
for emotional development, self-esteem and later relationships with peers,
lovers and one’s own children. Infants also have other secondary attachment
figures that form a hierarchy of attachments (i.e. father, grandparents).
The continuity hypothesis
As Bowlby believed that our first attachment is our model for all future
relationships, this means there is continuity and consistency between early
emotional experiences and later relationships. This leads to the continuity
hypothesis – the idea that there is a link between the early attachment
relationship and later emotional behaviour; individuals who have positive or
secure attachments in infancy continue to be socially and emotionally
competent, whereas insecurely attached children have more social and
emotional difficulties later in childhood and adulthood.
Attachment
The Beauchamp College