Outline and evaluate the evolutionary theory of attachment
Outline and evaluate the evolutionary theory of attachment
Bowlby came up with this theory and believed that attachment is innate and adaptive. His theory states that we are born with an inherited need to form an attachment in order to help us survive. This involved Darwins theory of natural selection as any behaviour that helps you survive will be kept in the gene pool. In terms of humans, babies are helpless and rely completely on the primary caregiver which is normally the mother. Interestingly, the mother also inherits a gene that predisposes her to loving the infant. Bowlby argued that attachment behaviours in both babies and their caregivers evolved through natural selection to ensure the baby survives to grow and reproduce.
A second important aspect of Bowlby’s theory was the idea of monotropy. This is the tendency for a baby to form one primary attachment which is more important than the rest. Bowlby took up and developed Freuds idea of the mother child relationship being important for future relationships. He came up that the mother child relationship would create an internal working model or template for the child’s future relationships. In this first attachment, the child learns whethers or not they are loveable, and if they can trust others. What they learn is important for their future relationships; this is referred to as the continuity hypothesis. He included evidence from Harlows experiment with rhesus monkeys and referred to mothers as safe bases.
Bowlby thought that the process of attachment took place within a sensitive period (first three years of child’s life). He took the concept of Lorenz, who found that mobile animals formed rapid attachments but after the critical period, could no longer form attachments. From his research with trouble teenagers, he strongly believed that the primary attachment should not be broken or disrupted for the first 3 years or there will be serious consequences.
Bowlbys theory was beneficial as it was the
Bowlby came up with this theory and believed that attachment is innate and adaptive. His theory states that we are born with an inherited need to form an attachment in order to help us survive. This involved Darwins theory of natural selection as any behaviour that helps you survive will be kept in the gene pool. In terms of humans, babies are helpless and rely completely on the primary caregiver which is normally the mother. Interestingly, the mother also inherits a gene that predisposes her to loving the infant. Bowlby argued that attachment behaviours in both babies and their caregivers evolved through natural selection to ensure the baby survives to grow and reproduce.
A second important aspect of Bowlby’s theory was the idea of monotropy. This is the tendency for a baby to form one primary attachment which is more important than the rest. Bowlby took up and developed Freuds idea of the mother child relationship being important for future relationships. He came up that the mother child relationship would create an internal working model or template for the child’s future relationships. In this first attachment, the child learns whethers or not they are loveable, and if they can trust others. What they learn is important for their future relationships; this is referred to as the continuity hypothesis. He included evidence from Harlows experiment with rhesus monkeys and referred to mothers as safe bases.
Bowlby thought that the process of attachment took place within a sensitive period (first three years of child’s life). He took the concept of Lorenz, who found that mobile animals formed rapid attachments but after the critical period, could no longer form attachments. From his research with trouble teenagers, he strongly believed that the primary attachment should not be broken or disrupted for the first 3 years or there will be serious consequences.
Bowlbys theory was beneficial as it was the