Explanations of attachment: learning theory and Bowlby’s monotropic theory. The concepts of a critical period and an internal working model. Flashcards
What is classical conditioning?
learning through association. When a neutral stimulus is consistently paired with an unconditioned stimulus so that it eventually takes on the properties of this stimulus and is able to produce a conditioned response
What is learning theory?
the name given to a group of explanations (classical and operant conditioning), which explain behaviour in terms of learning rather than any inborn tendencies or higher order thinking
What is social learning theory?
learning through observing others and imitating behaviours that are rewarded
In attachment, what is the innate stimulus?
food
What kind of response does the innate stimulus of food cause?
the innate (unlearned) response of pleasure
What kind of stimulus is food?
an unconditioned stimulus
What kind of response is pleasure in response to food?
an unconditioned response
What does unconditioned mean?
not learned - i.e. innate
During an infant’s early weeks and months, why do certain things become associated with food?
because they are present at the time when they are being fed
Give an example of something the infant may associate with food as a result of it being present when they are being fed
mother
What kind of stimulus is the mother BEFORE conditioning?
a neutral stimulus
How does a neutral stimulus take on the properties of the unconditioned stimulus?
when it is regularly and consitently associated with the UCS
What will happen to the NS when the NS and the UCS are regularly paired?
the NS (mother) will now be able to produce the same response (pleasure) in the infant as the UCS (food)
After conditioning, what does the NS become?
a conditioned stimulus (CS)
Because of the NS becoming a CS, just seeing the NS mother will cause the infant to….
feel pleasure
What do learning theorists call the newly formed stimulus-response between mother and infant?
‘mother love’
Who first investigated classical conditioning?
Ivan Pavlov
Who first investigated operant conditioning?
B.F Skinner
Who offered an explanation of attachment based on operant conditioning and drive reduction theory?
Dollard and Miller
What did Dollard and Miller base their explanation of attachment on?
operant conditioning and drive reduction theory
What is a drive?
something that motivates behaviour
What is drive reduction theory?
a theory of learning in which the goal of motivated behavior is a reduction of a drive state
Explain how operant conditioning can be used to explain an infant’s attachment to their mother
- In the case of a hungry infant there is a drive to reduce the accompanying discomfort
- When the infant is fed, the drive is reduced and this produces a feeling of pleasure. This rewarding is called negative reinforcement (escape from something unpleasant).
- The behaviour that led to being fed more likely to be repeated in the future because it was rewarding. Food becomes a primary reinforcer because it supplies the reward, i.e. it reinforces the behaviour that avoided discomfort.
- Through the process of classical conditioning the person who supplies the food is associated with avoiding discomfort and becomes; 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
Who developed social learning theory?
Albert Bandura
What is SLT a further development of?
learning theory
Who suggests modelling could be used to explain attachment behaviours?
Dale Hay and Jo Vespo
What did Dale Hay and Jo Vespo propose?
that modelling could be used to explain attachment behaviours.
Explain how modelling can explain attachment behaviours - as proposed by Hay and Vespo
children observe their parents affectionate behaviour and imitate this. Parents would also deliberately instruct children about how to behave in relationships and reward appropriate attachment behaviours such as giving kissing and hugs
What are the 3 PEEL evaluation points for learning theory as an explanation for attachment?
- learning theory is based on animal studies
- learning theory has some explanatory power
- an alternative explanation
What is the PEEL paragraph for the evaluation point, ‘learning theory is based on animal studies’?
P - a criticism of learning theory is that it is largely based on studies with non-human animals, such as Skinner’s research with pigeons
E - behaviorists believe that humans are actually no different from other animals in terms of how they learn. Our behaviour patterns are constructed from the same basic building blocks of stimulus and response and therefore, they argue, it is legitimate to generalize from animal studies to human behaviour
E - however, not all human behaviour can be explained by conditioning, especially a complex behaviour such as attachment. Non behaviorists argue that attachment involves innate predispositions and mental activity that could not be explained by conditioning
L - therefore, behaviorist explanations may lack validity because they present an oversimplified version of human behaviour
What is the PEEL paragraph for the evaluation point, ‘learning theory has some explanatory power’?
P - one strength of learning theory is it can explain some aspects of attachment
E - infants do learn through association and reinforcement, but food may not be the main reinforcer. It may be that attention and responsiveness from a caregiver are important rewards that assist in the formation of attachment
E - such reinforcers were not part pf the learning theory account. It may also be that responsiveness is something that infants imitate and thus learn about how to conduct relationship
L - learning theory may not provide a complete explanation of attachment, but it still have some value
What is the PEEL paragraph for the evaluation point, ‘an alternative explanation’?
P - one of the main reasons that learning theory was rejected as an account of attachment is that a better theory appeared
E - Bowlby’s theory has many strengths compared to learning theory. First of all it can explain why attachments form, whereas learning theory can only explain how they might form
E - for example, it can explain Shaffer and Emerson’s findings that infants are not always most strongly attached to the person who feed them. Learning theory also offers no explanation of the strengths of attachment. According to Bowlby’s theories the strengths include protection from harm and thus increased chances of survival.
L - in this way, Bowlby’s theory offers a more complete explanation of attachment that learning theory
What is the continuity hypothesis?
the idea the emotionally secure infants go on to be emotionally secure, trusting and socially confident aduls
What is the critical period?
a biologically determined period of time, during which certain characteristics can develop. Outside of this time window, such development will not be possible
What is the internal working model?
a mental model of the world which enables individuals to predict and control their environment. In the case of attachment, the model relates to a person’s expectations about relationships
What is monotropy?
the idea that the one relationship that the infant has with his/her primary attachment figure is of special significance in emotional development.
What is a social releaser?
a social behaviour or characteristic that elicits caregiving and leads to attachment
What led John Bowlby to propose his first theory?
he observed whilst treating emotionally disturbed children that many had experienced early separation from their families
What was J Bowlby’s first theory?
theory of maternal deprivation
What did Bowlby propose in his theory of maternal deprivation?
that children deprived of an early, strong attachment may suffer permanent long-term emotional maladjustment
What is the main principle of Bowlby’s theory of attachment?
that strong attachment and the consequences of such attachment are adaptive
Where does the idea of ‘adaptiveness’ in Bowlby’s theory come from?
Darwin’s Theory of Evolution
What is Darwin’s Theory of Evolution?
states that any genetically determined behaviour that enhances an individual’s survival and reproduction, will be naturally selected
How does Bowlby incorporate key concepts of the evolutionary approach into his explanation of attachment?
he argued that there would have been a strong selective pressure for close attachment between an infant and its mother during evolution.
What s EEA?
Environment of Evolutionary Adaptedness - the environment to which any species is adapted and the selective pressured that existed at that time
Whn was humans most recent period of evolutionary change?
roughly 2 million years ago - when humans moved from a forest life to the developing savannahs in Africa
How did Lorenz influence Bowlby?
his research on imprinting led Bowlby to assume that a similar process was operating in humans - i.e. that attachment behaviour evolved because it serves an important survival function - an infant who is not attached is less well protected. Our distant infant ancestors would’ve been in danger if they did not remain clos to an adult
Must the attachment also be reciprocated by the parent?
YES !!
Why must the attachment be reciprocated by the parent?
in order to ensure that they are cared for and survive. It is only the parents who look after their offspring that are likely to produce subsequent generations
Do babies have an innate drive to become attached (according to Bowlby)?
YES
What is the critical period for attachment?
3-6 months
What happens if infants do not have the opportunity to form an attachment?
they have difficulty forming attachments later on
According to Bowlby, what determined who an infant will attach to?
sensitivity - infants who are most strongly attached are the ones whose mothers were more responsive, more cooperative and more accessible than less closely attached infants
Why are social releasers important during the critical period for attachement?
to ensure that attachments develop from parent to infant
Give 2 examples of social releasers
smiling, making a ‘baby face’
What so social releasers elicit?
caregiving
Are social releasers innate?
YES
Who is often the one emotional bond (monotropy) that the infant forms?
the biological mother
What is the role of secondary attachments for an infant?
to act as a safety net, and are important for healthy and psychological and social development
What is the importance of monotropy?
important that an infant has one special relationship and forms a mental representation of this relationship called an internal working model
What are 2 consequences of the internal working model?
- short term - gives he child insight into the caregiver’s behaviour and enables the child to influence the caregiver’s behaviour, so that a true partnership can be formed
- long term - it acts as a template for all future relationships because it generates expectations about what intimate, loving relationships are like
What are the 3 evaluation points for Bowlby’s explanation for attachment?
- attachment is adaptive
- a sensitive period rather than ‘critical’
- continuity hypothesis