What is Bowlby’s Evolutionary Theory of Attachment

There are 6 stages to this theory. 1) Attachment is adaptive and innate. This is because it promotes survival, resulting in attachment behaviour to become innate. 2) Social Releasers, e.g. smiling, crying etc. makes caregivers respond. Care giving is also adaptive because it also promotes survival. 3) Critical/Sensitive Period. This describes the certain time when infants are most sensitive to form attachments. As time goes on it becomes harder to form attachments. 4) Monotropy/Hierarchy. Primary attachments occur with the person who responds most sensitively to social releasers is. Secondary attachments then form a hierarchy, which are still important in development. 5) Internal Working Model. This is based on their relationship with their primary caregiver and an infant develops ideas about how and what they expect relationships to be. 6) Continuity Hypothesis. The internal working model leads to continuity. This is the idea that there is a link between early attachment relationship and later emotional behaviour. So securely attached children will go on to be socially and emotionally competent.