Explanations of Attachment Flashcards
What are the two explanations of attachment?
-Learning theory
-Bowlby’s Monothropic Principle
What is the intro of learning theory?
Infant learns to attach to whoever feeds them.
What are the two types of learning theory?
-Classical conditioning
-Operant conditioning
What are 3 ways infants attach in classical conditioning?
-stimulus
-association
-response
What does Pavlov do using classical conditioning?
Emphasizes the importance of food in the formation of attachment.
‘cupboard love theory’
Explain Pavlov’s Classical Conditioning
-Milk (UCS) is provided, this causes the infant to have pleasure (UCR)
-This is a automatic response has not been learnt
-The feeder (NS) through repetition of feeding will cause the infant to associate the feeder with food and pleasure
-The feeder (CR) whenever seen by infant it will indicate that they will be fed, this would cause (CR) of pleasure.
What do learning theorist say about Pavlov’s classical conditioning?
It is the basis of attachment love as the child seeks to be nearer to the feeder
Who developed operant conditioning?
Skinner
What is the Intro of Skinner’s Operant conditioning?
-Learning behavior through rewards, punishment and reinforcement
-Positive reinforcement, reward for behavior so behavior is repeated to gain same reward
-Negative reinforcement, if doing behavior avoids negative consequences the behavior is repeated to avoid negative consequences
-Punished, behavior stops
Explain operant conditioning by skinner?
-Explains why infants cry for comfort
-Infant is Hungary so cries, caregiver responds by feeding
-Positive reinforment, as the reward is food, the crying behavior is reinforced
-Caregiver feeds infant, crying stops (negative reinforcement)
-Negative stimulus of crying is removed and feeding behavior is reinforced
-Mutual reinforcement strengthens attachment
What are evaluations for learning theory?
-Environmental Reductionism
Explain the evaluation of environmental reductionism?
-Reduces complex human behavior
-Into simple basic units stimulus, association and response
-Neglects holistic approaches such as taking into account a person culture and social context
-E.G in a collectivist culture everyone would work together to look after children
-So the children will for multiple attachments from outset
-lacks validity
-Doesn’t allow us to understand in context
Explain the evaluation of Harlow’s research.
-research to contradict by Harlow
-he found that monkey’s spent more time with the surrogate mother who privded comfort over the wire mother who provided food
-same must be for humans
-according to learning theorists humans and non humans are equivivlant
-contradict learning theorists assumption
Explain the evaluation of Schaffer abd Emmerson.
-foubd infants tend to form a specific attachment with the mother regardless of whoever feeds them
-atttachment is more due to the responsivness of the cargiver to the infants signals
-further research by feilds into the role of the father shows that better quality relationships was where the caregiver was sensitive and responsive to child needs
-feeding may not be the most important factor when forming a attachment
Who also had an explanation for attachment and what was it called?
Bowlby’s monotropic theory
What are the 5 elements of Bowlby’s monotropic theory?
-Adaptive
-Social releasers
-critical period
-monotropy
Explain adaptivity.
-attachment is innate system
-inherited to improve survival
-we are programmed to attach
Explain social releasers.
-we are born with social releasers
-e.g smiling, looking ‘cute’
-triggers a response from the caregiver
-ensures interaction takes place to form an attachment
Explain the critical period.
-biological period
-if the infant does not attach in the first 2.5 years of their life they may not attach at all
Explain monotropy.
-emphasizes a child’s primary caregiver
-the importance of the caregiver on the child’s attachment
-mother/ mother substitute
Explain the Law of continuity and law of accumulated seperation.
law of continuity- if consistent and predicted care takes place this increases the quality of attachment
law of accumulated separation-substantial separation from the mother can result in poor quality attachment
Explain the internal working model.
-‘mental representation’ of relationship with primary caregiver
-Model for future relationships
-use this to build expectations of future relationships
-powerful impact
-future relationships mirror childhood attachments
-pass through generations
What are the evaluations for Bowlby’s montropic theory of attachment?
-Lorenz
-Schaffer and Emerson
-Hazen and shaver
Explain the evaluation of Lorenz.
-Lorenz found that goslings have a period of 12-17 hours in which imprinting must take place or wont at all
-This support BMTOA
-Bowlby also found a a critical period in which infants must attach in the first 2.5 years of their life otherwise will find difficulty forming relationships in the future.
-Therefore increasing IV of the study
Explain the Evaluation of Hazen and Shaver.
-They conducted research called the ‘love quiz’
-found those who had a secure attachment in childhood had positive long-lasting relationships in which they felt they could trust there partners
-whereas those who had a insecure attachment had difficulty forming relationships or ended up divorcing
-therefore,early attachment was a template for there future relationship
Explain the evaluation of Shaffer and Emmerson.
-found that infants can have multiple attachments
-multiple attachment helps with the development of the child
-socially,cognitively and emotionally
-therefore contradicts as the infant can form more than one attachment
