EXPLANATIONS FOR ATTACHMENT Flashcards
classical conditioning
food –> happy baby
food + mom –> happy baby
mom –> happy baby .:. attachment formed
operant conditioning
Attachments infants only form attachments is a learned caregiver (Secondary reinforcer) is a reliable source of food (Primary reinforcer)
Positive reinforcement on forming attachments
Care giver provides food, a feeling of pleasure wihc is rewarding .:. behaviour that elicted the award will be repeated
Negative reinforcement on forming attachments
reinforcement = reciprocal process as caregiver also experienced as a reward in the form and negative reinforcement when the infant stopped crying so they too repeat the caregiving behaviour
Learning theory eval
HARLOW: found baby rhesus monkeys spent more time with a cloth monkey, which provided no food, in comparison to a wire monkey that provided food. TS baby monkeys do not form attachments based on presence of food alone + prefer contact comfort, suggesting an alternative processes may have been ignored. TIFB SCHAFFER + EMMERSON: infants formed attachments to their mothers despite often being fed by other carers.
DOLLARD + MILER: in the 1st year babies fed ~ 2000 times by the main carer → ample time for carer to be associated w/ the removal of unpleasant feeling of hunger. TS idea of neg reinforcement due to the removal of the unpleasant stimulus of hunger ∴ incr. Likelihood of attachment. ALSO TS classical conditioning as there is an association between caregiver + food
REDUCTIONIST: Simplifies complex idea of attachment to individual components of stimuli response, when in reality there are several factors (i.e, upbringing, culture, traumatic events)
Envrio determinism: babies have no control over who feeds them → Econ IMP: puts pressure on mothers to stay at home, rather than back to work to feed their baby
A SNAP CHAT MAKES IMAGES
ADAPTIVE SOCIAL RELEASERS CRITICAL PERIOD MONOTROPHY INTERNA WORKING MODEL
How is the MONOTROPHIC theory adaptive
In late system to survival advantage as caregiver protects + provides for the infant
what are social releaers
innate behaviour that encourages attention + thus care from adults
outline the idea of the critical period
Attachments must be formed with the caregiver during the critical period of around two years, if not formed within this period will find it hard to do so later in life and child is damaged for life
Why is Bobby’s theory described as monotrophic
There is a large emphasis on attachment to one caregiver i.e. mother
outline thee idea of the internal working model
Internal template for future relationship expectations, also affect the child’s ability to parenting later in life as well
Research support social releases
BRAZELTON: 1º attachment figures instructed to ignore social releasers. Babies showed distress + w/ continued ignoring baby curled up + lay motionless. TS social releasers are important in forming attachments.
Research to support critical period
LORENZ: found when hatching, baby geese followed 1st moving object they saw, during a 12–17 hr critical period. → imprinting + appears to be innate (bc no time to learn behaviour). TS Bowlby’s idea of a critical period + demonstrates innate behavioural system for survival advantage.
Research to support internal working model
HAZAN + SHAVER: → self-report questionnaire, ‘The Love Quiz’, to assess the IWM. found a pos correlation between early attachment types + later adult relationships. TS idea of ISM + TS early childhood experiences affect our later adult relationships. ALSO TS intergeneration continuity
Mixed evidence for monotrophy
SHAFFER + EMERSON: discriminate stage supports idea of 1 specific attachment BUT S+E claim multiple attachments form after 9 months, ~18 months 87% of babies have multiple attachments
