Bowlby’s Monotropic Theory of attachments is that the infant bonds with one special attachment figure who is usually the mother because she is special and unique in attachment. The bond with the mother is special because it is different from all other bonds the child makes. Bowlby believed that attachment behaviour was innate and had been passed down through evolution for the survival of the infant. They are born programmed to become attached and that adults are also programmed to attach to their infants. Certain behaviours called social releases encourage the bond. Social releases include smiling, crying, cooing, looking cute etc. they all make adults respond and bond with them. Bowlby also believed that there is a critical period between 7months and 2-3 years for attachment to occur. He said if attachment doesn’t occur during this age it is impossible for it to occur after. Bowlby said that the first attachment to the mother was very important because it gave the infant a blueprint on how future relationships should be. The child is given information about themselves to build their personalities around. Secure children develop a positive model of themselves and feel secure and safe. Avoidant children develop a model that sees themselves as unworthy and unacceptable because their caregiver was rejecting and discouraging their clingy behaviour.
Freud’s theory was the first to stress the importance of early experiences. Although there was no evidence to support it, the theory was influential in later theories of attachment such as Bowlby’s Monotropic theory. Bowlby’s theory led to lots of research into attachment to help us understand it better and help parents know what to do. Bowlby’s theory also led to lots of practical applications and uses especially in allowing parents to stay with their children in hospitals so that they could bond during the critical period. However, like Freud’s theory, there is no evidence to prove that attachment is genetic or innate which means that the theory is not a reliable or complete theory.
There are several studies disagreeing with Freud that have found hat feeding is not the most important factor. Harlow et Rhesus isolated 8 monkeys at birth to place them in a cage with two model mothers. One made of wire and had a feeding bottle and another was covered in soft cloth but had not feeding bottle. Other variations were also carried out. Findings showed that the monkey clung to the soft cloth mother and used her as a safe house to explore. They only went to the wire mother when hungry. The monkeys therefore formed an attachment with the cloth mother for comfort and security. However this monkey was done on monkeys and cannot be generalised to humans. Schaffer & Emerson did a six month observation and found that babies didn’t attach to the person that feeds them but the person who was responsive to their social needs. This theory also disagreed with Freud’s theory that children should go to their feeder for id. However this research was culturally biased and unethical. It also lacked control. This study also disagreed with Bowlby’s idea that attachment is Monotropic usually to the mother. Research has shown that infants make multiple attachments.
Another criticism of Bowlby’s theory is that he underestimated the role of fathers. He believed they were only there to give financial help to mothers so they could stay at home. This is a problem in modern day because mothers go to work and have their own income. Also, some children only have a father because women die in childbirth. Fathers are important to young boys because they have to identify with the same sex parent.
The idea of the critical period has been heavily criticised because this idea came from research with animals (ducks) this is a problem because anthropomorphism assumes that humans and animals have the same characteristics. Other evidence suggests that human infants can recover and make attachments after 3 years as long as they are given the correct loving environment.
Overall, both theories believe that attachment is essential for survival and prototype fore future relationships. Also, the mother is the main care-giver because she is special and unique. Neither theories have sufficient evidence to support their claims or give a full explanation as to why we attach.
