Cupboard Love (Attachment) Flashcards
Dollard and Miller 1950
caregiver as a provider of food. Do we learn to love whoever feeds us?
Attachment and classical conditioning
According to learning theory, the baby has to learn to form an attachment with his/her primary caregiver
By the process of classical conditioning, the baby forms an association between the primary caregiver (a neutral stimulus) and the feeling of pleasure that comes from being fed (an innate, unconditioned response).
At first, the baby simply feels comforted by food. However, each time he/she is fed, the primary caregiver is there too. He/she quickly associates the primary caregiver with the pleasure of being fed.
Before long, the primary caregiver stimulates a feeling of pleasure on her own, even without food.
This means the baby feels [happier] when the primary caregiver is near. It is the beginning of [attachment]
Operant conditioning for infants
Babies cry for comfort, this builds attachment because it leads to a response from the caregiver. If the correct response is given, crying is reinforced. The caregiver response is comforting the ‘social supressor’ behaviour. It is a two-way process, the baby is reinforced and the caregiver receives negative reinforcement because the baby stops crying.
The drive reduction theory
suggests that hunger (drive) makes the infant feel uncomfortable, and prompts a behaviour (crying) to reduce the discomfort.
Food reduces the discomfort and is therefore rewarding via negative reinforcement.
This ‘stamps in’ the feeding behaviour, food is the primary reinforcer because it supplies rewards.
The person who supplies the food becomes associated (secondary reinforcer) resulting in the infant becoming attached to the person as they become a source of reward in his/her own right.
(Evaluation of Cupboard Love) Counter evidence from animal research
Lorenz’s geese imprinted before they were fed and maintained this attachment despite who fed them.
Harlow’s monkeys preferred the cloth mother over the wire mother with food.
In humans, food does not create the attachment bond. We also attach for physical comfort, safety and warmth.
(Evaluation of Cupboard Love) Counter evidence from human research
Schaffer and Emerson 1964, many of the babies developed a primary attachment to their biological mother even though other care givers fed them.
(Evaluation of Cupboard Love) Learning theory ignores other factors
reciprocity and interactional synchrony is ignored by the learning theory. Good quality attachment was shown when infants’ were responded to and signals were picked up.
(Evaluation of Cupboard Love) Some elements of conditioning could be involved, despite other evidence
Many areas of human development are affected by conditioning. The attachment is not necessarily about food, but the reinforcement between primary caregiver and provision of comfort and social interaction.
(Evaluation of Cupboard Love) A newer learning theory explanation
Hay and Vespo 1988- social learning theory. The theory suggests that parents teach children to love them through modelling and imitation of behaviour. For example, hugging or interactions such as ‘that’s a lovely smile/hug’.
Evolution
the process whereby useful features are introduced into a species. Features are useful if they help the animals to survive long enough to successfully reproduce. To survive and reproduce, animals need to be well adapted to their environment.
Useful features are called adaptive.
Bowlby’s Monotropic Attachment Theory
According to Bowlby, attachment is a behaviour that has evolved because of its survival value
An evolutionary trait is always genetically transmitted so children are born with a drive to become attached to a care giver. It is innate.
It has a number of parts which can be broken down into the following:
-adaptivity
-monotropy
-sensitive period
-social releasers
-internal working model
Adaptive
attachments give our species an adaptive advantage, making us more likely to survive. This is because if an infant has an attachment to a caregiver, they are kept safe, give food and kept warm.
Monotropy (includes law of continuity+Law of accumulated separation)
generally the attachment to the mother. This is special and intense, mono meaning one. If the mother isn’t available, the infant could bond with another ever-present adult, mother-substitute.
-the law of continuity stated that the more constant and predictable a child’s care, the better the quality of their attachment.
-the law of accumulated separation stated that the effects of every separation from the mother ass up ‘and the safest does is therefore a zero dose’
Sensitive period
(3-6 months) babies should develop attachment with their caregiver during this time. As the months pass it becomes increasingly difficult to form attachments between the caregiver and the infant.
The infant has a critical period (2-2.5years) when the infant attachment system is active. If the child fails to form an attachment this critical period they could be damaged for life- socially, emotionally, intellectually and physically.
Social releasers
these unlock the innate tendency of adults to care for them. It provides protection and enhances survival. These are both: physical (baby face features and body proporions) and behavioural (crying and cooing). A parent satisfying the needs of a baby with the intention of stopping them from crying is negative reinforcement.
