Explanations of attachment

Question 1

What are the 2 explanations of attachment?

Answer 1

1. The learning theory
2. Bowlby’s monotropic theory

Question 2

What is the learning theory?

Answer 2

Proposes that all attachment behaviours are learnt through the environment, and are a result of nurture rather than nature.

Involves classical and operant conditioning.

Question 3

What is classical conditioning in attachment (learning theory)?

Answer 3

• Food automatically satisfies a baby’s basic need and causes pleasure
• The mother usually provides this source of pleasure
• Because the process is constantly repeated, the caregiver becomes a source of pleasure in themselves and an attachment is formed (e.g. they’ve been associated with food)

Question 4

Show classical conditioning in attachment (learning theory)

Answer 4

Before:
Food (UCS) = happiness (UCR)
Mother (NS)= no response

During:
Mother (NS) + food (UCS)= happiness (UCR)

After:
Mother (CS)= happiness (CR)

Question 5

What is operant conditioning in attachment (learning theory)?

Answer 5

• Food to a child is a primary reinforcer (it fulfils a biological need)
• Child’s caregiver becomes a secondary reinforcer (it provides the primary reinforcer, e.g. food)
• Means that the child will try stay close to the caregiver (proximity seeking)
• When the caregiver feeds the child, the crying stops. This acts as negative reinforcement for the child and in the future, when the child cries, they will be comforted in the same way because this removed the negative experience in the past
• Other people feeding means the child will form multiple attachments (stimulus generalisation)

Question 6

If the point is:

A weakness of the learning theory is that there’s research which refutes the fundamental ideas of the theory.

What is the evidence and link?

Answer 6

Evidence- For example, Harlow found that when he studied rhesus monkeys, they preferred contact with the towelling mother, regardless of whether she produced milk. They spent more time seeking comfort, not food. Also, the monkeys only with a wire monkey showed signs of stress which suggested they weren’t comforted.

Link- This suggests that food is not needed to make an attachment, meaning it may not be a valid explanation for how attachments are formed.

Question 7

If the point is:

A weakness of the learning theory is that it is also flawed by Schaffer and Emerson’s research.

What is the evidence and link?

Answer 7

Evidence- For example, in their study on stages of attachment, they found that 39% of babies formed their prime attachment with someone other than their main carer. This suggested that they’re unlikely to have been fed all the time by this person, but still made an attachment to them.

Link- This implies that food can’t be the only part of forming an attachment, therefore it further limits the learning theory.

Question 8

If the point is:

A strength of the learning theory is that it’s an existing and validated theory.

What is the evidence and link?

Answer 8

Evidence- Classical and operant conditioning have been tested in research over many years and have shown to be a validated reason for explaining human behaviour.

Link- This suggests that using the learning theory to explain how attachments are formed is widely recognised.

Question 9

If the point is:

A weakness of the learning theory is that it may be less valid, as there’s others explanations for attachment which may be considered more comprehensive.

What is the evidence and link?

Answer 9

Evidence- For example, Bowlby’s monotropic theory can explain how we evolved to form attachments, so, it takes a nature view on attachment behaviour, which is the opposite to nurture view of the learning theory.

Link- This therefore implies that there are other theories in explaining attachment which may be seen as more in depth and takes more factors into account.

Question 10

What does Bowlby’s monotropic theory state?

Answer 10

Believes that attachment behaviours serve an evolutionary advantage and are coded in our genetic structure.

Believes in nature not nurture.

Question 11

What are the 5 key principles within Bowlby’s monotropic theory?

Answer 11

1. Attachment is monotropic
2. Monotropic attachment is innate and adaptive
3. Infants use social releasers to elicit caregiving
4. Monotropic attachment has a critical period
5. Monotropic attachment forms our internal working model

Question 12

What is meant by the key principle:

Attachment is monotropic.

Answer 12

• Monotropy is a preference for 1 person (the caregiver)
• If the mother isn’t available, the infant could bond with another present adult

Question 13

What is meany by the key principle:

Monotropic attachment is innate and adaptive.

Answer 13

• We have an innate drive to form attachment
• Kept safe by giving food, kept warm, etc…
• Attachment is therefore an adaptive trait

Question 14

What is meant by the key principle:

Infants use social releasers to elicit caregiving.

Answer 14

• Programmed instinctively to respond to their child’s social releasers
• Social releasers: crying, smiling, looking, vocalising, following, clinging

Question 15

What is meant by the key principle:

Monotropic attachment has a critical period.

Answer 15

• A ‘window of development’ when an infant is easily and quickly able to form an attachment
• Between birth and 2.5 years
• Bowlby said if this didn’t happen, the child would be socially, emotionally, intellectually and physically damaged for life.

Question 16

What is meant by the key principle:

Monotropic attachment forms our internal working model.

Answer 16

• All the child’s future adult relationships will be based on the relationship with the mother.

Question 17

If the point is:

A strength of the monotropic theory is that there’s evidence to support it.

What is the evidence and link?

Answer 17

Evidence- There’s a lot of support from research projects that support various ideas within Bowlby’s theory, such as the concept of a ‘critical period’ from Lorenz’s work on geese imprinting. Harlow’s research also supports the importance of caregiver sensitivity over food. Harlow showed that food wasn’t the only factor needed to create an attachment, this could support the idea that social releasers are necessary for bonding.

Link- This implies that these studies suggest that his explanation has some valid ideas.

Question 18

If the point is:

A weakness of the monotropic theory is that some of the supporting research, such as Lorenz and Harlow, comes from research with animals.

What is the evidence and link?

Answer 18

Evidence- This is a flaw for the theory, as it’s difficult to draw conclusions on attachments as we have different social interactions which may be a key element for forming attachments.

Link- Therefore, this evidence questions the extent to which we can use this research to support Bowlby’s monotropic theory about human attachment relationships.

Question 19

If the point is:

A strength of the monotropic theory is that it has many real world applications.

What is the evidence and link?

Answer 19

Evidence- For example, Bowlby’s explanation has been influential in the improvement of child care services. Largely because of Bowlby’s theory, procedures that were once in place have now been recognised as harmful to children and have changed. For example, in nurseries infants often have 1 key worker to maintain a consistent attachment to.

Link- This means that Bowlby’s work has helped to support the development of attachment relationships and avoid some of the damaging negative influences.

Question 20

What are the evaluation points for Bowlby’s learning theory of attachment?

Answer 20

– There is research to refute it
– It is also flawed by Schaffer and Emerson’s research
+ It is an existing and validated theory
– It may be less valid, as there’s other explanations for attachment which may be considered more comprehensive

Question 21

What are the evaluation points for Bowlby’s monotropic theory of attachment?

Answer 21

+ There is research to support it
– Some of the supporting research, such as Lorenz and Harlow, comes from animal studies where no human behaviour was studied
+ Many real world applications