Explanations of attachment

Question 1

what is the definition of learning theory

Answer 1

a set of theories from the behaviourist approach to psychology, that emphasise the role of learning in the acquisition of behaviour

Question 2

what is the definition of classical conditioning

Answer 2

learning through association

Question 3

what is the definition of operant conditioning

Answer 3

learning through reinforcement

Question 4

what are the key points of learning theory

Answer 4

• all behaviours are learnt rather than born

- behaviourists suggest that all behaviours (including attachment) is learned through classical or operant conditioning

Question 5

what are the four key principles of Bowlby’s theory

Answer 5

• evolution
• monotropy
• social releasers and critical period
• internal working model

Question 6

Bowlby AO1- evolutionary explanations of attachment

Answer 6

• suggested attachment is an innate system that gives a survival advantage
• imprinting and attachment allows young animals to stay close to caregivers who will protect them from danger

Question 7

Bowlby AO1- monotropy

Answer 7

• theory is described as monotropic as it focuses on the child’s attachment to one caregiver
• this attachment is different from others and considered more important
• time spent with the primary caregiver is important due to the two laws

Question 8

what were the two laws of monotropy

Answer 8

• law of continuity

- law of accumulated separation

Question 9

what is the law of continuity

Answer 9

the more consistent and predictable a child’s care, the better quality of their attachment

Question 10

what is the law of accumulated separation

Answer 10

the effects of every separation from the mother ‘add up’ and the safest dose is therefore a zero dose

Question 11

Bowlby AO1- social releasers

Answer 11

babies are born with a set of innate social releasers (smiling, gripping, cooing) that encourage attention from adults and activates the adult attachment system (makes adults attached and feel love to baby)

Question 12

what are social releasers

Answer 12

a social behaviour or characteristic that elicits caregiving and leads to attachment

Question 13

Bowlby AO1- critical period

Answer 13

• a critical period of around 2 years when the infants attachment system is active/in its sensitive period
• if no attachment is formed in this period it will be much harder to form one later

Question 14

what is an internal working model

Answer 14

a mental representation formed through a child’s early experiences with their primary caregiver- a persons expectations about relationships

Question 15

Bowlby AO1- internal working model

Answer 15

• child forms an internal working model that works as a template for future relationships
• e.g if a child’s first relationship is caring they will form an expectation that all relationships are caring (can work in the opposite as well)
• internal working model may also affect the child’s parenting style later in life

Question 16

what does monotropic mean

Answer 16

the mono means ‘one’ and indicates that one particular attachment is different from all others and of central importance to the child’s development

Question 17

A03 Evaluation points for Bowlby’s theory of attachment- external validity

Answer 17

• Bailey assessed 99 mothers with one year old babies and found mothers who reported poor attachment to their own mothers were more likely to have children classified as having poor attachment
• supports Bowlby’s idea of internal working model and is therefore applicable to real life situations increasing validity

Question 18

A03 Evaluation points for Bowlby’s theory of attachment- credibility W

Answer 18

• Schaffer and Emerson found majority of babies did form one specific attachment before multiple attachments develop however a significant minority could form attachments at the same time
• may not be accurate in explaining attachments as the main idea of monotropy is not only way to form an attachment but just that primary attachments have a higher quality than others
• weakens credibility as it brings into question how important the attachment is to one caregiver

Question 19

A03 Evaluation points for Bowlby’s theory of attachment- credibility S

Answer 19

the supporting evidence from Brazelton shows the accuracy of the theory’s main points, as it has been shown across other experiments therefore increasing the theory’s credibility

Question 20

what was Brazelton’s study

Answer 20

Brazelton instructed primary attachment figures to ignore signals and social releasers and babies showed distress but when they continued to ignore them some babies curled up and lay there motionless

Question 21

what were the findings of Brazelton’s study

Answer 21

the response of distress shows social releasers are behaviours that are present to elicit caregiving and when the desired response was not achieved they stopped producing emotional releasers

Question 22

who puts forward learning theory

Answer 22

behaviourists

Question 23

how does learning theory argue attachments are learned

Answer 23

through classical or operant conditioning

Question 24

what is an unconditioned stimulus

Answer 24

aspect of the environment which produces an automatic, unlearned response

Question 25

what conditioning involves an unconditioned stimulus

Answer 25

classical

Question 26

what is an unconditioned response

Answer 26

unlearned reflex response to an unconditioned stimulus

Question 27

what conditioning involves an unconditioned response

Answer 27

classical

Question 28

what is a neutral stimulus

Answer 28

stimulus which initially produces no specific response/reaction e.g caregiver