explanations of attachment Flashcards
name the two parts of the learning theory.
operant conditioning and classical conditioning
what is classical conditioning?
- Classical conditioning involves learning through association.
- This begins with a reflex response to a stimulus.
- If another stimulus is repeatedly paired with one that produces a reflex – it will eventually produce the same response.
- Food (unconditioned stimulus - UCS) naturally produces a sense of pleasure (unconditioned reflex -UCR).
- A person (conditioned stimulus – CS) regularly feeds the infant.
- The ‘feeder’ (CS) eventually produces the pleasure associated with food (UCS); pleasure now becomes a conditioned response (CR).
- This association between an individual and a sense of pleasure is the attachment bond
backed up by Pavlov’s dogs study
describe Pavlov’s dogs (1927) study.
he was studying the digestion of dogs. he measure how much they salivated when eating but he found that the dogs salivated before the food arrived and was triggered by things the dogs associated with getting food. e.g the door opening.
what is operant conditioning?
- A hungry infant is driven to reduce the discomfort.
- When the infant is fed, the drive is reduced and this produces a feeling of pleasure (which is rewarding).
- Food becomes a primary reinforcer because it reinforces the behaviour in order to avoid discomfort.
- The person who supplies the food is associated with avoiding discomfort and becomes a secondary reinforcer, and a source of reward in his/her own right.
- Attachment occurs because the child seeks the person who can supply the reward.
what were strengths and weaknesses of Pavlov’s dogs (1927) study?
weakness: the study isn’t valid as the conclusions were made about animals and therefore can’t be generalized to human behaviour.
strength: the study can show insight to human behaviour because animals have the same basic needs as humans so basic behaviour should be the same or similar.
who proposed the learning theory?
Dollard and Miller (1950)
what are the strengths of the learning theory?
It provides an adequate explanation of how attachments form as it is based on a large body of experimental evidence – therefore reliable evidence - that we learn through association and reinforcement.
Behaviourists believe that we are no different from other animals. A belief in evolutionary theory means It is just a matter of scale. Our behaviour patterns are constructed from the same basic building blocks of stimulus and response and therefore it is legitimate to generalise from animal experiments to human behaviour.
what are the weaknesses of the learning theory?
The learning theory has been called ‘cupboard love theory’ as attachment is based on provision of food. However, it may be that attention and responsiveness from a caregiver are important rewards that create the bond.
Contradictory evidence -
Harlow (1959) created two wire ‘mothers’ for caged young monkeys. One had a feeding bottle attached and the other was wrapped in soft cloth but offered no food. According to learning theory the monkeys should have become attached to the ‘mother’ who could reduce hunger. In fact the monkeys spent most time clinging to the cloth-covered mother.
As a study with animals, it may not apply to humans, however, Schaffer and Emerson (1964) observed 60 babies from working-class homes in Glasgow for a year. They found that infants were not most attached to the person who fed them. They reported that there was little relationship between time spent together and attachment. This suggests that it is the quality of care giving (sensitivity) rather than the quantity that is important - the opposite of what learning theory would predict.
Learning theory is largely based on studies with non-human animals. Human behaviour is more influenced by higher order thinking and emotions. Behaviourist explanations may lack validity because they present an oversimplified version of human behaviour.
what does learning theory propose?
Learning theory proposes that all behaviour is learned rather than inborn. Behaviour is learned either through classical or operant conditioning.
name the different parts of Bowlbys attachment theory
issmic. innate, sensitive period, social releases, monotropy, internal working model and continuity hypothesis.
what are the strengths of Bowlbys theory?
Innate: If attachment evolved to provide an important biological function, then it would be universal i.e. found in all cultures.
Tronick et al. (1992) studied an African tribe living in extended family groups. Infants are looked after and breast fed by different women but usually sleep with their own mother at night. Despite such differences in childrearing practices the infants, at six months, still showed one primary attachment. This supports the view that attachment and care giving are universal and not influenced by different cultural practices.
Sensitive period and impact on development
The conclusion from research appears to be that once the sensitive period has passed it is difficult to form attachments.
Hodges and Tizard found that children who had formed no attachments before adoption had later difficulties with peers.
Consider Harlow’s study (1959). The infant monkeys formed only a one-way attachment with an unresponsive wire ‘mother’. The result was that they all became maladjusted adults - they had difficulties in reproductive relationships and were poor parents. This underlines the importance of interaction in attachment.
Monotropy and hierarchy
Bowlby suggested that infants form multiple attachments but these form a hierarchy, with one attachment having special importance in emotional development. There is much evidence to support this.
E.g.Schaffer and Emerson (1964) found most infants had many attachments; however infants maintained one primary object of attachment. This was most often the infant’s mother, though it was frequently the infant’s father.
The continuity hypothesis
The Minnesota longitudinal study (Sroufe et al., 2005) has followed participants from infancy to late adolescence and found continuity between early attachment and later emotional/social behaviour. Individuals who were classified as secure in infancy were rated the highest for social competence, were less isolated and more popular, and more empathetic. This demonstrates continuity.
what are the weaknesses of Bowlbys theory?
Alternative explanation
A key feature of the theory is the continuity hypothesis. However continuity in development can be explained without using Bowlby’s theory. An innately trusting and friendly personality could be the prime factor in secure attachments and the prime factor in forming close adult relationships.
This is called the temperament hypothesis (Kagan, 1984) - certain personality characteristics of the infant shape a mother’s responsiveness. There is evidence that children are born with innate differences which contribute to attachment. Belsky and Bovine (1987) assessed babies aged one to three days old and found a link between certain physiological behaviours and later attachment types. They found that infants who were calmer and less anxious were more likely to be securely attached.
Multiple attachments
Many psychologists hold the view that all attachment figures are equally important. In the multiple attachment model there are no primary and secondary attachments - all attachments are integrated into one single working model. Research on infant-father attachment, for example, suggests a key role for fathers in social development (Grossmann and Grossmann, 1991). Relationships with siblings are important for learning how to negotiate with peers
However this may not be so very different from what Bowlby intended. Secondary attachments, in his theory, do contribute to social development, but healthy development requires one central person standing above all the others in a hierarchy.
