Bowlby’s Monotropic Theory

Monotropy Theory

The monotropy theory assumes humans have an innate drive to form an attachment with one person, the primary caregiver. The infant holds the primary attachment with the primary caregiver as the most important.

According to Bowlby, a famous psychologist, a primary attachment must be formed before the critical period, or this could lead to later developmental, intellectual, social and psychological issues.

What is Bowlby's Monotropic Theory of Attachment?

Bowlby's monotropic attachment theory focuses on the idea that we form an evolutionary-based attachment to one primary caregiver. Forming an attachment with the primary caregiver is an innate process that is incredibly important in an infant's development.

Bowlby Monotropic Theory

Infants will try to form an attachment to the primary caregiver to increase their chances of survival (external factors such as illness or family dysfunction may disrupt this process).

Bowlby argues that the natural selection theory highlights that children are genetically pre-programmed to form attachments to increase their chances of survival.

Bowlby's Attachment Theory Stages

Infant attachment is the developmental stage in which infants form attachments to their primary caregiver and others in their environment.

Schaffer and Emerson (1964) proposed four stages of attachment: asocial, indiscriminate, specific, and multiple.

The process of forming attachments involves social releases.

These behaviours encourage the attachment figure to care for the child, which suggests attachments form because of care and responsiveness rather than simply food and biological needs.

In this theory, Bowlby states a critical period in which this primary attachment must occur – a bond can't form outside it. He describes this period as being between birth and three years old. Although in further revisions, he did state that within a 'sensitive period' of 0–5 years, attachments may still be able to be formed.

What Happens if we don't Form Attachments?

A key part of Bowlby's monotropic theory is that this primary attachment is essential for normal social, emotional, intellectual and psychological development. Without this attachment, Bowlby suggests the child will suffer many detrimental effects.

Bowlby Maternal Deprivation

Bowlby suggested that experiencing maternal deprivation caused children to experience detrimental consequences, such as a lack of emotional intelligence, antisocial behaviour, and delinquency.

In his '44 Thieves' study from 1944, Bowlby studied 44 young offenders at the London Child Guidance Clinic. Of the 14 children he diagnosed with 'affectionless psychopathy', 12 had experienced maternal deprivation within the first five years of life.

The results of this study support Bowlby's hypothesis that children who experience maternal deprivation are more likely to become 'affectionless psychopaths'.

Bowlby: Privation

In his theory, Bowlby describes privation as highly detrimental to a child's emotional and social development. However, he describes both privation and maternal deprivation as the same thing.

Psychologist Micheal Rutter (1981) suggests that the failure to form any attachment is privation, which leads to different issues than maternal deprivation.

Deprivation focuses more on the loss or withholding/damage of this attachment. The problems that Rutter hypothesises that children who have experienced privation were likely to face include attention-seeking, co-dependent behaviours, antisocial behaviour, and an inability to follow the rules or feel guilt.

Bowlby Internal Working Model

As we mentioned above, Bowlby's monotropic attachment theory operates around the idea that this attachment will form a template for future relationships. Attachments we form as infants affect how we trust, socialise, and care for others.

As it is a working model, it is adaptable, and the continuity hypothesis suggests the primary caregiver's interactions and the formed attachments influence the child's future relationships.

Bowlby Critical Period

According to Bowlby, the critical period is between 6 to 30 months old.

Bowlby's Monotropic Theory of Attachment: Evaluation

Which studies supported Bowlby's monotropic theory? Lorenz (1935) found that infant greylag geese formed attachments with the very first thing they saw after hatching, suggesting that attachment is an innate process. This finding supports Bowlby's idea that attachment is an evolutionary, instinctual behaviour.

Fox (1977) found that infants formed monotropic bonds with their mothers in some Israeli communities, despite only seeing their mothers for approximately three hours a day (nannies took care of them). This finding suggests once more that attachment is innate, as Bowlby describes.

What are the Limitations of Bowlby's Monotropic Theory?

Schaffer and Emerson's research (1964) into attachment stages found that children begin to form multiple strong attachments around 10 to 11 months, rather than just their mother, challenging Bowlby's ideas.

Rutter (1981) argued that the problems children who had suffered privation or deprivation faced were due to the lack of intellectual stimulation and social contact that attachments provide rather than the lack of attachment itself.

What are the Practical Applications of Bowlby's Monotropic Theory?

Is Bowlby's monotropic theory adaptive to everyday life? We can use Bowlby's monotropic theory to understand why some people suffer from developmental problems later in life and implement strategies in early years settings, such as nurseries, to facilitate healthy attachments and help children grow up as best they can.

This theory could also find use in therapeutic settings; by knowing what has caused someone to have some emotional or social deficits, we can help treat them.

Bowlby's research has inspired many psychologists who have specialised in attachment, such as Mary Ainsworth and Patricia McKinsey Crittenden. This has helped us understand how and why we attach and its implications on our development.