Attachment Booklet 1: Explanations of Attachment Flashcards
What is the main assumption behind the learning theory as an explanation of attachment?
Children learn to become attached to their caregiver
What is an attachment based on who gives them food?
Cupboard Love
Which two ways can a child learn this attachment?
Association - Classical Conditioning
Reinforcement - Operant Conditioning
What did Dollar and Miller explain?
The term secondary drive hypothesis
What is secondary drive hypothesis?
an explanation of how primary drives which are essential for survival, such as eating when hungry, become associated with secondary drives such as emotional closeness.
This theory extends to explain the two-way process of attachment, that the caregiver must also learn
What is the before stage in classical conditioning?
NS + UCS = UCR +NR
What is the During stage in classical conditioning?
UCS + NS = UCR
What is the After stage in classical conditioning?
CS = CR
How does operant conditioning argue an attachment is formed?
When baby cries mother responds by feeding, giving baby positive reinforcement. Next time baby hungry, likely to repeat. Mother stopping crying is negative reinforcement.
What are the evaluations of Learning theory?
😟Evidence to contradict - Harlow
😟Evidence to contradict - Lorenz
🤓Scientific
😟Reductionist
😟Evidence to contradict (Lamb)
What did Bowlby suggest?
Attachment is an innate process that serves an important evolutionary function
What are the 5 sections of Bowlbys monotropic theory (ASCMI)
Adaptive
Social Releases
Critical Period
Monotropic
Internal Working Model
What does it mean to be adaptive?
-essential for survival
-Provides us with safety
-Gives us resources
-Babies who attach more likely to survive and reproduce passing on the behaviour
What does it mean to have social releases?
Infants automatically elicit specific behaviours known as social releases
What is the critical period?
Age 0-2 years, without a bond will lead to attachment problems in later life
