Explanations of attachment Flashcards
learning theory
Dollard and Miller suggested attachment explained by ‘cupboard love’ approach, emphasising primary attachment figure as food provider
learning theory evaluation
Pavlov’s Scottish monkeys are innately conditioned
Classical conditioning
learning a behaviour by associating to different stimuli (NS and UCS) to create a conditioned response
Operant conditioning
Behaviour is learned or altered by patterns of reinforcement. Reinforced behaviour will be repeated
UCS in attachment
food
NS in attachment
caregiver
CS in attachment
Caregiver
UCR and CR in attachment
Happy baby
Primary reinforcer and what this is in attachment
stimulus that innately satisfies
food is a primary reinforcer as it directly satisfies hunger
secondary reinforcer and what this is in attachment
stimulus associated with primary reinforcer so reinforces by itself
caregiver = s. reinforcer as they provide the p. reinforcer
how does positive reinforcement create an attachment?
hungry infant uncomfortable so cries as driven to reduce discomfort.
feeding reduces discomfort and baby feels pleasure (reward)
attachment occurs because baby seeks out person who provided reward
how is the caregiver negatively reinforced in OC
when feeding baby, crying (negative thing) stops so mum becomes attached to baby
monotropy
Baby is attached to one specific caregiver
internal working model
emotional attachment to PAF forms a template for infant’s later attachments
why is the monotropic theory also called the ‘evolutionary theory’?
babies with an attachment have advantage over those without so therefore more likely to grow up and pass on genetic make-up
social releasers
innate behaviours and features that help baby engage with PAF and encourage caregiving
why did Bowlby emphasise mother as PAF?
believed it is qualitatively different and more important than other relationships/attachments in childhood
two principles of IWM
- law of continuity –> the more constant and predictable a child’s care, the better the quality of attachment
- law of accumulated separation –> effects of every separation from mother adds up; safest does is 0 dose
sensitive period
time during which child is maximally sensitive to developing attachments
what is the latest Bowlby suggested the critical period can be delayed?
3-4 years –> after which attachments can’t form in most babies
Monotropic theory evaluation
Scottish economies influence cultural fathers
