Attachments L5 - 8 Flashcards
Learning/Behavioural theory:
All behaviour is learned either through classical or operant conditioning rather than innate
Cupboard love theory of attachment:
Attachment is based on the provision of food alone
What is classical conditioning based on and which psychologist did an experiment on this?
- Learning through association
- Pavlov
Pavlov’s study:
Before conditioning:
1) Food (unconditioned stimulus) = Salivation (unconditioned response)
2) Bell = no response
Conditioning process:
Food (UCS) + Bell (NS) = Salivation (UCR) (association through repetition)
Now:
Bell (conditioned stimulus) = Salivation (conditioned response)
What is an unconditioned response?
An automatic, innate response
What is a neutral stimulus?
It has no response
How does this experiment correlate w/ attachments?
Before conditioning:
1) Milk (UCS) = Pleasure (UCR)
2) Caregiver = no response
Conditioning process:
Milk (UCS) + Caregiver (NS) = Pleasure (UCR) (association through repetition)
Now:
Caregiver (conditioned stimulus) = Pleasure (conditioned response)
What is operant conditioning based on, which psychologist conducted an experiment on this and what did he find?
- Learning through rewards and punishments (positive and negative reinforcements)
- Skinner
- Rats could learn to press a lever for a reward
What do operant conditioning theorists believe?
1) Behaviours which lead to rewards will be repeated
2) Behaviours which lead to punishments are less likely to be repeated
What is positive reinforcement?
Receiving smth positive for carrying out a behaviour
What is negative reinforcement?
Performing a behaviour in order to avoid smth unpleasant and therefore behaviour continues in future
Use operant conditioning to explain why babies cry for comfort:
- Crying leads to response from caregiver
- If caregiver gives right response, crying is positively reinforced
- Caregiver receives negative reinforcement as crying (displeasure) stops
Primary drive w/ example:
- Innate biological motivator
- Hunger
Secondary drive w/ example:
- Learnt by association
- Often exists to achieve primary drive
- Attachment
Strengths and weaknesses of Learning Theory as an explanation of attachments:
+ Plausible –> some elements of conditioning can be involved in attachments
+ Social Learning Theory fits better w/ other research
- Based on animal studies
- Conflicting research evidence
- Reductionist
- Attachments are innate and complex
What animals were used in various studies and how is learning theory being largely based on them a weakness (w/arguments against)?
- Skinner used pigeons and rats, Pavlov used dogs
- Some argue animal behaviour cannot be generalised to humans
Arguments against: - Behaviourists eg. Pavlov + Skinner believe human learning behaviour is very similar to animals
- Our behaviour patterns are constructed from the same sensory register so it is legitimate to generalise
What research support has shown attachment not to be based on food?
- Lorenz –> baby goslings imprinted despite not feeding them
- Harlow –> baby monkeys attached to towelling mother despite it not providing milk
- Schaffer and Emerson –> 40% of babies did not have first primary attachment w/ physical carer
In what way is the learning theory reductionist?
- Heavy focus on factors like food and pleasure
- Ignores factors like interactional synchrony and reciprocity, which are also important for forming attachments
- Studies have shown best quality attachments are formed w/ sensitive carers who respond to infant signals
What evidence shows that the learning theory can still be involved in forming attachments?
- Does give a reason why attachments happen (food)
- Many attachment behaviours do give positive reinforcement (pleasure)
- Most babies form attachments w/ caregivers who feed them most
What is the Social Learning Theory?
- Further development of Learning Theory by Albert Bandura, Dale Hay and Jo Vespa (1988)
- Suggested modelling can be used to explain attachment behaviours
- Children observe parents’ affectionate behaviour and imitate this
- Parents instruct children how to behave in return for positive reinforcement eg. hugs
- Baby attaches as they may see other significant others attached
Why did Bowlby reject learning theory as an explanation for attachment?
He said, “if it were true, an infant of a year or two should readily take to whomever feeds him and this is clearly not the case” (1988)
How is Social Learning Theory a better explanation for the formation of attachments?
- Based on a two way interaction between baby and adult
- Fits better w/ reciprocity research
What does the evolutionary theory argued by Bowlby say?
- Attachments are innate and have evolved as they aid survival
- Infants who stuck close to mother were more likely to survive
- This genetic trait was passed on thru generations
What is modelling?
Imitating the behaviour of role models
What are the nature vs nature theories in attachments?
- Bowlby’s Monotropic Theory
- Cupboard love theory
John Bowlby:
- Psychiatrist
- Worked w/ emotionally disturbed children
- Proposed first theory, the maternal deprivation hypothesis (1951)
- Suggested a young child should experience warm, intimate and continuous relationship w/ his mother/mother substitute otherwise they may suffer long term damage
What are the important characteristics aiding the formation of an attachment?
1) Monotropy
2) Social releasers
3) Critical/Sensitive period
4) Internal working model
Other features: Continuity hypothesis and secure base
Why is Bowlby’s theory (1958, 69) described as monotropic?
- Monotropy = Primary attachment fig (usually biological/unbiological mother)
- One attachment has special importance over secondary attachments(hierarchy)
What two principles explain monotropy?
1) Law of continuity –> More constant and predictable a child’s care, better the quality of attachment
2) Law of accumulated separation –> Effect of every separation adds up and ‘safest dose is therefore a zero dose’ (1975)
What does the primary attachment fig provide and what is the importance of secondary attachment figs?
- Primary–> Foundation for emotional development, self-esteem and later relationships
- Secondary –> Important in emotional development as it acts as a safety net
What are social releasers and why are they important?
- Set of innate cute behaviours like cooing
- Important as these mechanisms cause the caregiver to have an innate predisposition towards them, triggering a response
What did Bowlby recognise the attachment process to be?
Reciprocal
What is the critical/sensitive period in which an attachment should be formed and what happens if it is not?
- First 2 years
- Extremely difficult to form any more attachments
- Maximally sensitive at 2
What is the internal working model and what consequences does it have in the short and long term?
- Mental representation of relationship w/ primary caregiver (Bowlby 1969)
Important: - Short term –> Gives child insight into caregiver’s behaviour and enables them to influence them
- Long term –> Schema for what relationships should entail
How does attachment give protection for infants and what does it help to do?
- Acts as a secure base
- Allows them to explore the world and return when threatened
- Helps foster independence
What is the continuity hypothesis?
- The view that there is a link between early attachment relationships and later emotional behaviour eg. securely attached infants continue to be socially and emotionally competent vice versa
Strengths and weaknesses of Bowlby’s theory of attachment:
+ Research support for:
–> monotropy
–> social releasers
–> critical period (animal research)
–> internal working model
–> continuity hypothesis
- Counter evidence against:
–> monotropy
–> formation of attachments after critical period
–> assumption that a child will always have poor future relationships if they had a poor first attachment
- Outdated as role of father is ignored –> counter evidence to show importance
- Temperament may be important as as attachment
What support is there for monotropy?
- Attachments are expected to be universal as they have evolved to aid survival
- Tronick et al (1992) studied African tribe Efe in Zaire where babies are looked after + breastfed by other women, but slept w/ mother at night. Even these babies still showed one primary attachment at 6 months (monotropy)
