Explanations Of Attatchment: Learning Theory And Bowlby’s Monotropic Theory

Question 1

learning theory intro

Answer 1

The learning theory emphasises the importance of food in the formation of attachment and is known as the ‘cupboard love’ theory, is it suggests infants learn to attach to whoever feeds them.

Question 2

Feeding before conditioning

Answer 2

Food (unconditioned stimulus) = pleasure (unconditioned response)

Question 3

Feeding during conditioning

Answer 3

Feeder (neutral stimulus) + food (unconditioned stimulus) = pleasure (unconditioned response)

Question 4

After conditioning

Answer 4

Feeder (conditioned stimulus) = pleasure (conditioned response)

Question 5

Operant conditioning positive reinforcement

Answer 5

When an infant is hungry and cries, this leeds to the response of feeding from caregiver which is positive reinforcement so crying behaviour is reinforced.

Question 6

Operant conditioning negative reinforcement

Answer 6

When the caregiver feeds infant, crying stops, this is negative reinforcement for the caregiver as negative stimulus of crying is removed and feeding behaviour is reinforced.

Question 7

Research to contradict learning theory

Answer 7

Harlow found that monkeys spent more time with the surrogate mother who provided them with comfort rather than the one that provided them with food.

Question 8

Research to contradict learning theory

Answer 8

Schaffer and Emerson- found that infants tended to form attachments to their mother regardless of whether she wad the one who usually fed them, attachment was more due to who responds to the infants signals and interacting with them.

Question 9

Bowlby’s monotropic theory intro

Answer 9

Theres different parts of the theory, not stages.

Question 10

ASCMI

Answer 10

adaptive, social releasers, critical period and monotropy.

Question 11

Research to support bowlby’s monotropic theory

Answer 11

Lorenz - found critical period of 12-17 hrs which supports bowlbys concept of a critical period

Question 12

Research to contradict bowlby’s monotropic theory

Answer 12

Shaffer and Emerson - found evidence to support the view that children had multiple attachments. Found multiple attatchments may help children develop socially, emotionally and cognitively. However they also found that children form specific attachments before multiple ones, which was with the mother 65% of the time.

Question 13

Another criticism of bowlby’s monotropic theory

Answer 13

An alternative explanation is learning theory which proposes we learn to attatch via stimulus, response and associations.