Explanations Of Attachment

Question 1

What are the two explanations?

Answer 1

Bowlbys monotropic

Learning theory

Question 2

What is the learning theory of attachment?

Answer 2

Classical conditioning- Associating UCS of food with NS of mother which produces pleasure, the UCR.

Operant conditioning-
Babies are negatively reinforced when hunger is taken away through mother. Baby associates food with negative reinforcement of mother.

Question 3

Evaluation of Learning theory?

Answer 3

Animal studies provide evidence against- Harlow

Human research also shows that food it not an important factor. Schaffer and Emerson found that babies formed attachments to people who didn’t feed them such as fathers.

Too reductionist, try’s to simplify complex procedures involved in attachment to simple
S-R.

Question 4

What is Bowlbys monotropic theory?

Answer 4

M- Monotropic singular attachment to the mother adds survival value
I- The child’s first attachment is what there internal working model of attachment is based on.
C- Critical period of up to 2 years to form an attachment
E- Evolution has developed a biological need to attach to our main caregiver.

Question 5

Evaluation of monotropic theory?

Answer 5

Lorenz Goslings provide support however cannot be generalised to humans.