Bowlby put forward a theory of attachment based upon the assumption that attachments are formed due to their evolutionary advantages. The theory states that attachments are adaptive and become attached because of the long term benefits such as feeding and protection from a caregiver. It also states that infants have social releasers which are physical and behavioural characteristics that elicit an innate tendency to look after, such as smiling or crying. The attachment is a monotropic attachment to the mother which occurs within the critical period, which is from birth to two and a half years of age. This attachment helps the infant to form an internal working model which is a schema for all future relationships.
Bowlby believed that attachments are natural and adaptive. He also believed that we are all born with an inherited need to form attachments and this is to help us survive. This can also line up with Darwin’s theory of natural selection, which explains that any behaviour that helps us to survive to maturity and reproduce will be maintained in the gene pool. For example; a baby relies on its mother for food and care etc and without the mother the baby would be helpless. Babies have social releaser which unlocks the innate tendency for adults to care for them; these are both physical and behavioural social releasers.
This side of the nature-nurture debate suggests that we are a certain way because of the way we were bought up and our life experiences. Biological programming - this comes down to your genes. Biological programming suggests that you will have similar medical conditions to your parents supporting the idea of natural selection and genetics. Maturation theory - this theory sees child development as being controlled by evolution and that genetically there is a series of events that will occur automatically. It is believed the development has a biological process and this can be predicted over time.
The evolutionary approach argues that gender role division is a consequence of the adaptation to the challenges and circumstances faced by our ancestors. This suggests that the role differences we observe are more a product of our biological inheritance and evolution than social factors acting on our behavior. As evolutionary theory is a biological approach to gender development, it suggests that our genes have coded aspects of human behavior because they were or are adaptive. However a debate to this approach is the nature vs. nurture approach, nature supporting the evolutionary approach being that we have evolved through survival and adaptation to the situations and therefore passing on the adaptive genes of the survivors. Nurture on the other hand is a view, is a view proposed by the social approach suggesting that behavior is affected by socialization and environment.
GENDER IDENTITY 01 Gender Identity Jessie Stolberg PSY/265 Jori Reijonen, Ph.D GENDER IDENTITY 02 Gender identity is a person's belief that they are male or female, and is an important aspect of self-concepts. According to studies, there are many factors that help determine gender identity. Personal experiences throughout life are important as they play a part in shaping our future and determining the gender we should be associated with. Biological factors have a big part in the shaping of the physical development of children. An example of this are the distinct sexual organs that children are born with to associate them anatomically with a gender.
Bowlby’s theory Well the most influential explanation about attachment was proposed by John Bowlby ho began to develop his idea in 1940’s. Bowlby presented 2 theories the one we are going to concentrate on is the attachment theory. Rather than the location of child’s attachment being within the environment as most theories do, Bowlby argued that attachment is an evolved mechanism that ensures the child’s survival. He drew a variety of influences to support develop his theory. Bowlby argued that the attachment behaviours in both caregivers and babies evolved ensuring the survival of the baby until maturity and reproduce.
Historically, they have been approached through one of two perspectives. First, the nature perspective suggests that human behavior is driven mostly by biology (evolution, genetics, brain chemistry, and hormones). In contrast, the nurture perspective suggests that behavior is driven mostly by the psychosocial environment (for example, how we were raised, our peers, the situations we are in at present). Interestingly, almost everyone in our culture seems to believe that nurture is more powerful than nature. More than likely, this is because it is easier to observe the effects of nurture in our lives (personal experience), because we have been told that nurture is more powerful in our culture (authority), and because it feels more empowering to believe that nurture has more of an effect, perhaps because it seems more controllable (bias).
Introduction State what you are doing in the essay This response will attempt to uncover the assumptions and interrelationships of the evolutionary explanation for emotion, in particular, disgust. Define evolution Evolution is the changing in the inherited traits of a species over time. Describe the theory of evolution Evolutionary psychology is at the biological level of analysis and aims to explain all behaviour by evolutionary means. Charles Darwin – the father of evolutionary psychology – proposed the theory of evolution. He suggested those who adapt best to environmental challenges will have a greater chance of survival, reproduction, and passing on genes.
In presenting and analysing empirical evidence such as Howe (1997) supporting the thesis that intelligence can, in fact, change under the right conditions and given enough time, a strong indication of malleability is provided. Especially the Head Start initiative in the U.S.A. has indicated changeability as well as severely deprived orphans, who are adopted into stimulating and caring environments, have shown remarkable mental and physical catchup. Furthermore, an increase in IQ scores over generations in several countries has been found by the researcher J.R. Flynn, which also hints at changeability. Criticisms of malleability, which support the genetic approach and immutability, were presented and discussed as well as essential limitations to the genetic approach and its evidence, since it seemed that a strong genetic influence on intelligence exists but the environment cannot be disregarded. The sociological impact that research within the area of intelligence has had on political decisions was illustrated to show how the media can influence the impressionable public opinion, which might inhibit or derail further research.
Today, there has been a rise among instinctual parenting and attachment parenting. Which parenting style yields the greatest benefit to the child may be up to the interpreter of facts and what works best according to the caregiver or parent. Parenting Styles For as long as there has been life on earth, there have been many different ways to raise a child or children. Parenting styles can be determined by socioeconomic status, tradition, personal preference, or what the child responds to the best. Among the most recognized parenting styles are authoritative parenting, authoritarian parenting, and permissive parenting.