Attachment
Definition:
•An emotional bond between 2 people
•2 way process that endures over time
•Serves the function of protecting the child

Objectives
Define the term attachment
Identify key words associated with
Bowlby’s Theory of attachment
Provide basic evaluation for Bowlby’s
theory of attachment
Write an exam style answer for the
Learning Theory of attachment

Explanations of Attachment
You need to know 2 explanations of
attachment
Learning Theory
Bowlby’s Theory
Attachment is
learned
Attachment is
innate

A01
Bowlby’s Theory
Infants form
attachments
because it’s
Adaptive
adaptive
= good for
survival
Babies have an ‘attachment
gene’
- Ensuring the infant
stays close to caregiver
for food and protection
An infant displays social
releasers (such as
crying, smiling) which
increase their chances
of receiving care

A01
Bowlby’s Theory ContD…
Parents also have an
‘attachment gene’
Parents are driven to provide
care for the infant while
they’re young and
defenceless – the critical
period
Which drives the
parents to provide care
-this is also adaptive
(increases chances of
genes continuing to
the next generation)
Bowlby suggested that
infants make one main
attachment – called
monotropy

Bowlby’s Theory
– beyond infancy
A01
The first
relationship
provides the
infant with an
attachment
template
Internal
working
model
The attachment
behaviours in
the internal
working model
continue to
follow the same
template in the
future
Continuity
hypothesis

A01
Bowlby’s Theory
– key terms
Adaptive
There’re loads –
make sure they’re
in your Glossary
and that you
KNOW them!
Attachment gene
Social releasers
Critical period
Monotropy
Internal working model
Continuity hypothesis

A02
Bowlby’s Theory – A02
Can you remember anything from
Learning Theory A02 that you can
apply to Bowlby’s theory?

Lorenz found that newly
hatched geese (after
seeing Lorenz shortly
after hatching) following
him everywhere and he
became their ‘imprinted
parent’
Hazen & Shaver
Conducted the ‘love quiz’
which assessed adult
romantic relationships and
childhood relationships and
found a strong positive
correlation between the 2
attachment types
Howes et al
Found that parentchild relationships
were not necessarily
the same as childpeer relationships
Schaffer and Emerson
(1964) noted that
specific attachments
starts around 8 months
but by 18 months only
13% of his sample had
only one attachment,
some had five or more.

A02
Bowlby’sTheory – Evaluation
Positive
Lorenz (1952)
Why is that
Positive
criticism?!
Lorenz found that newly
hatched goose (after
seeing Lorenz shortly
after hatching) following
him everywhere and he
became their ‘imprinted
parent’

A02
Bowlby’sTheory – Evaluation
Positive
Hazen &
Shaver
Why is that
Positive
criticism?!
Conducted the ‘love quiz’
which assessed adult
romantic
relationships and
childhood
relationships and
found a strong
correlation between
the 2 attachment
types

A02
Bowlby’s Theory – Evaluation
Negative
Howes et al
(1994)
Why is that
negative
criticism?!
Found that parent-child
relationships were not
necessarily the same as
child-peer relationships

A02
Bowlby’s Theory – Evaluation
Negative
Against
monotropy
Why is that
Negative
criticism?!
Schaffer and Emerson
(1964) noted that
specific attachments
starts around 8 months
but by 18 months only
13% of his sample had
only one attachment,
some had five or more.

Key words
In pairs write at least 15 key words
that link to the Evolutionary
Theory of Attachment
Glossary
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Evolutionary Theory – Attachment is innate
Social Releasers
Attachment Gene
Critical Period
Internal Working Model
Continuity Hypothesis
Monotropy
Hazen & Shaver
Howes et al
Post-hoc

Exam style questions
Have a go at the following questions
1. What is meant by the term attachment?
(2 marks)
2. Explain how the behavioural explanation of
attachment differs from the evolutionary
explanation of attachment.
(4 marks)
3. Explain two limitations of the evolutionary
perspective explanation of attachment.
(2 marks + 2 marks)