Attachment Flashcards
what is learning theory?
a theory by behaviourists that states that behaviour is learnt rather than innate.
Children are born as blank slates and become who they are due to experiences.
infants attach to caregivers due to association with food and strengthen it through reinforcement.
what is classical conditioning?
child will form attachment to care giver because the caregiver is associated with food, the strongest attachment will therefore be with those who feed the child the most
explain classical conditioning
unconditioned stimulus =food unconditioned response=happy baby
neutral stimulus + unconditioned stimulus=unconditioned response
conditioned stimulus–> conditioned response
what is operant conditioning?
learning through reinforcement .Attachment bod built by classical conditioning then strengthened by operant conditioning .Food is the primary reinforcer, and the caregiver becomes the secondary reinforcer
what is a critical period?
a time where attachment needs to form if it is to be formed at all
what is imprinting?
the innate readiness to acquire certain behaviours during a critical period of development .e.g. an animal quickly develops a behaviour pattern of recognition to its mother or surrogate
what are the effects of imprinting?
short term- survival: food, protection
long term- relationships: how to form relationships in adult life
pros of animal studies.
- gives good insight into human behaviour as humans and animals are often very similar in terms of biology ,emotions
- can study animal infants in a way that would be unethical in humans
cons of animal studies.
- must be cautious as what applies to animals may not apply to human infants
- ethical issues arise as separation fr0m mother can cause emotional harm which reduces the reputation of psychological research
Lorenz’s study aim
to investigate imprinting in goslings
-independent groups
Lorenz’s study procedure
separated gosling eggs into 2 groups;
-left with mother -put in incubator
after he tagged these geese and put them in a box to allow them to mix
Lorenz’s study findings
Lorenz found that the group naturally divided and the incubator goslings followed Lorenz and attached to him over their mother.
-he found they followed the first moving object thy saw
Lorenz’s study conclusion
-there is a 12-17 hour critical period after hatching when an attachment bond occurs aka imprinting. Suggests attachment is innate
Harlow’s study aim
to investigate attachment processes in rhesus monkeys
-16 monkey sample and independent groups
Harlow’s study procedure
-monkey put into cages with 2 surrogate mother. They were separated into 2 groups:
-monkey given a wire mother with food and a cloth mother without food
-monkey given cloth mother with food and wire mother without food.
he measured how long the monkeys spent with each mother and which one they ran to when frightened
Harlow’s study findings
- Harlow found that the monkeys would spend 22/24 hrs a day with cloth mother even if she did not provide food. They also came to her when frightened.
- when returned with peers monkey could socialise or successfully rear their young when they reproduced
Harlow’s study conclusion
supports evolutionary theory of attachment in that it is the sensitive response and security of the caregiver that is important(not food)
define attachment
a mutual and intense emotional relationship between 2 individuals .They see each other as and essential for their emotional security, so the relationship is reciprocal
what is reciprocity?
in caregiver-infant interactions
refers to a process of turn taking between the caregiver and infant. Actions of 1 partner elicits a response from the other
what is interactional synchrony?
adult and baby responding in time with each other to sustain communication. They move almost as if they are one
Meltzoff and Moore (1977) aim etc..
observe the beginning of interactional synchrony in infants with adults
they were as young as 2 weeks old
(3 facial experession,1 hand gesture (4 stimuli))
Meltzoff and Moore (1977) procedure
-adult 1/3 distinctive facial expressions.
Childs response was filmed and identified by independent observers in a controlled observation
Meltzoff and Moore (1977) findings
association found between the expression or gesture the adult ha displayed and the actions of the baby which suggests social interaction is innate
what was Bowlby’s evolutionary theory of attachment?
suggests we come into the world biologically programmed to form attachments because they are crucial for survival(opposes LT)
