Explantions Of Attachment

Question 1

What is the learning theory explanation of attachment?

Answer 1

Infants learn to become attached to their primary caregiver through the process of either classical conditioning or operant conditioning.

Question 2

What is cupboard love?

Answer 2

infants form an attachment to whoever feeds them

Question 3

What is classical conditioning?

Answer 3

The process of learning by associating two situations together to condition (learn) a response

Question 4

What are the steps/ process within classical conditioning? (Food as an example to child)

Answer 4

1. Before conditioning, food is an unconditioned stimulus which produces a unconditioned response (reflex) in the child- relief from hunger
2. Before conditioning, the caregiver is a neutral stimulus, who produces no conditioned response at all from the child
   3.. During conditioning, the child associate the caregiver who feeds them (neutral stimulus) with the food (unconditioned stimulus)
3. Through repeated pairing, caregiver becomes conditioned stimulus associated with pleasure from feeding. Resulting in caregiver eliciting a conditioned response (relief from hunger) from child and the formation of an attachment

Question 5

Who discovered operant conditioning and what was said?

Answer 5

Skinner (1938)- first to study operant conditioning to show behaviour in non-human animals could be learned through consequences, behaviour is rewarded (positive or negative reinforcement) it is repeated and punished behaviour stops.
Dollars and Miller (1950) Applied the principles of reward and reinforcement to explain human attachment between a caregiver and infant.
- Providing food for infant who experiences pleasure is positive reinforcement
- Negative reinforcement when the infant stops crying upon receiving food

Question 6

Brief evaluation of Learning Theory

Answer 6

• Undermined by Harlow research
• Refuted by research by Lorenz
• Methodological issues with research evidence
• Alternative (contrast) to learning theory proposed by Bowlby, more comprehensive

Question 7

In depth evaluation of learning theory

Answer 7

TBC

Question 8

What is Bowlbys Monotropic theory?

Answer 8

He argues children are born with innate tendency to form attachment with agents to increase chance of survival.

Question 9

Five key terms from Bowlbys Monotropic theory
(Remember pneumonic)

Answer 9

Adaptive
Social releasers
Critical Period
Monotropy
Internal working model

Question 10

Explanations of Bowlbys five key parts?

Answer 10

A- attachments are adaptive, giving humans an advantage, if an infant has an attachment they are kept safe

S- Inborn social releasers, innate tendency in adults, physical- baby face and behavioural- crying/cooing

C- Must form attachment with caregiver in critical period (3-6 months) could form attachment after but increasingly difficult child would be damaged for life if no attachment formed

M- Infants form one special attachment if not present they have mother substitute

I- Internal working model, this is a template for future relationship expectations, negative for negative and positive for positive

Question 11

What’s a brief evaluation of Bowlbys Monotropic theory?

Answer 11

• Research support from Lorenz
• Strength from Hazan and Shaver “love quiz”
  -Mixed evidence for Monotropy importance, Schaffer and Emerson refute idea of one special attachment
• Alternate explanation for attachment (Kagan 1984)
• Innate deterministic approach ignoring free will due to IWM, interaction of nature and nurture is critical

Question 12

What’s a detailed evaluation for Bowlbys Monotropic theory?

Answer 12

TBC