Evolutionary theory of attachment (Bowlby)

Sensitive period - If children do not form attachments before the age of 2, they would struggle to form any attachment at all
Care giving is adaptive - Infants have social releasers such as smiling which makes us want to care for them
Secure base - Children want to explore and need somewhere safe to return to when frightened
Monotropy - bias towards the primary attachment
Internal working model - creates expectations about what all relationships will be like
Continuity hypothesis - consistency between early emotional experiences and later relationships

Evaluation:

Individual differences is an issue because some infants form a secure attachment and others form an insecure attachment, it depends on the responsiveness of the care giver
Attachments vary between cultures e.g Japan encourage dependence whereas Western countries encourage independence
Research has concluded that fathers play a significant role in social development

	Created by eharveyhudl almost 10 years ago

A2 level Psychology (Attachment) Note on Psychology attachment research and evaluations, created by eharveyhudl on 06/02/2015.