attachment Flashcards
What is the learning theory? 2 points
- It’s a nurture theory.
- Suggests attachment develops through operant conditioning (reinforcement) and classical conditioning (association.
How does attachment develop through classical conditioning? 4 points
- Attachment forms through association with food.
- Classical conditioning (UCS) produces pleasure (UCR).
- So, child associates food and mother.
- Mother becomes the conditional stimuli and happiness becomes conditional response.
How does attachment develop through Operant conditioning? 4 points
- Presence of caregiver is reinforcing for infant.
- Infant gains pleasure when being fed.
- Behaviour of infant reinforcing for the caregiver (they gain pleasure from smiles of child)
- Therefore, is two-way and strengthens emotional bond.
Evaluation A02- What did Emmerson/Harlow/and Lorenz find? 3 points
- Emmerson found less than half of primary infants had an attachment to the caregiver who fed them.
- Harlow found monkey became more attached to the soft surrogate rather than the lactating one.
- Lorenz found that goslings imprinted on the first moving object they saw. (attachment is innate)
What is Bowlby’s theory?
3 points
- The theory suggests that attachment is innate.
- Attachment is important for the survival of the offspring.
- Infant and caregiver behaviour has evolved through natural selection.
What is a social release? 3 points
- Biological programming to ensure attachments occurs.
- Example of social release, Smiling and eye contact.
- Allows craegiver to be more sensitive to short term needs such as food and long term needs such as social skills.
What is the critical/sensitive period? 2 points
- 3-6 months
- The age in which an infant is most likely to develop an attachment
What is monotropy and Hierarchy? 2 points
Monotropy is a single special attachment often the caregiver
- Hierarchy is other attachment figures such as siblings and they work as a safety net
What is the Continuity hypothesis? 2 points
- Influence in later relationships.
- Will expect every relationship to be the same as the one they had.
What is the internal working model? 2 points
- Attachment provides the infant with an internal working model of relationships.
- A secure child would have a good internal working model (confident) vise versa
A02 Evaluation - What did lorenz find Bowlby’s theory? 1 point
- Lorenz supports Bowlby’s maternal deprivation hypothesis because the attachment process is innate.
what is the procedure of the strange situation? (8)
1) Parent and child play.
2) Parent sits while child plays. (secure base)
3) Stranger enters and talks to parent (stranger anxiety)
4) Parent leaves and stranger offers comfort (separation anxiety)
5) Parent returns and stranger leaves (reunion behaviour)
6) Parent leaves and child left alone (separation anxiety)
7) Stanger enters and offers comfort (stranger anxiety)
8) Parent return (reunion behaviour)
What 4 attachment categories did Ainsworth find?
Secure resistant 70%- Upset when left alone- Happy when mother returns and seek contact.
Insecure Avoidant 15%- unconcerned by absence- strongly avoid parent- little interest at reunion.
Insecure Resistant 15%- Clingy- Not willing to explore- extremely distressed when left alone- cant be comforted
Disorganised disorientated
A02 Evaluation- What are the weaknesses (2) and the strengths (1) of the Strange situation?
Lacks population validity- All participants were American- Cannot apply it to other cultures/countries.
Low ecological validity- Controlled environment- Not applicable because unlikely to happen.
Easy to replicate- only 8 episodes.
Cultural differences- What did Kroonenberg do with research data? (1)
Kroonenberg- Used meta data which is data analysed from 32 studies in 8 countries. Then calculated the average of each attachment category.
