Explanations of Attachment

Question 1

What are the two explanations of attachment?

Answer 1

-Learning theory
-Bowlby’s Monothropic Principle

Question 2

What is the intro of learning theory?

Answer 2

Infant learns to attach to whoever feeds them.

Question 3

What are the two types of learning theory?

Answer 3

-Classical conditioning
-Operant conditioning

Question 4

What are 3 ways infants attach in classical conditioning?

Answer 4

-stimulus
-association
-response

Question 5

What does Pavlov do using classical conditioning?

Answer 5

Emphasizes the importance of food in the formation of attachment.
‘cupboard love theory’

Question 6

Explain Pavlov’s Classical Conditioning

Answer 6

-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.

Question 7

What do learning theorist say about Pavlov’s classical conditioning?

Answer 7

It is the basis of attachment love as the child seeks to be nearer to the feeder

Question 8

Who developed operant conditioning?

Answer 8

Skinner

Question 9

What is the Intro of Skinner’s Operant conditioning?

Answer 9

-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

Question 10

Explain operant conditioning by skinner?

Answer 10

-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

Question 11

What are evaluations for learning theory?

Answer 11

-Environmental Reductionism

Question 12

Explain the evaluation of environmental reductionism?

Answer 12

-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

Question 13

Explain the evaluation of Harlow’s research.

Answer 13

-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

Question 14

Explain the evaluation of Schaffer abd Emmerson.

Answer 14

-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

Question 15

Who also had an explanation for attachment and what was it called?

Answer 15

Bowlby’s monotropic theory

Question 16

What are the 5 elements of Bowlby’s monotropic theory?

Answer 16

-Adaptive
-Social releasers
-critical period
-monotropy

Question 17

Explain adaptivity.

Answer 17

-attachment is innate system
-inherited to improve survival
-we are programmed to attach

Question 18

Explain social releasers.

Answer 18

-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

Question 19

Explain the critical period.

Answer 19

-biological period
-if the infant does not attach in the first 2.5 years of their life they may not attach at all

Question 20

Explain monotropy.

Answer 20

-emphasizes a child’s primary caregiver
-the importance of the caregiver on the child’s attachment
-mother/ mother substitute

Question 21

Explain the Law of continuity and law of accumulated seperation.

Answer 21

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

Question 22

Explain the internal working model.

Answer 22

-‘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

Question 23

What are the evaluations for Bowlby’s montropic theory of attachment?

Answer 23

-Lorenz
-Schaffer and Emerson
-Hazen and shaver

Question 24

Explain the evaluation of Lorenz.

Answer 24

-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

Question 25

Explain the Evaluation of Hazen and Shaver.

Answer 25

-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

Question 26

Explain the evaluation of Shaffer and Emmerson.

Answer 26

-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