The Monotropic and Learning theory of attachment Flashcards
What are the 5 aspects of Bowlby’s Monotropic Theory?
- Attachment is adaptive
- Social releasers
- Critical period
- Monotropic figure
- Internal working model
Explain what Bowlby meant by attachment being ‘adaptive’.
Proposed that attachment is innate (born with it), it aids the survival of the infant by ensuring their safety.
What are social releasers?
E.g. crying/laughing.
These help to form the reciprocal bond between the infant and the caregiver.
What did Bowlby identify the critical period as being?
2 1/2 years.
If an attachment is not formed within this time, then a child will find it harder to form one later in life.
What is a Monotropic figure?
Humans have a tendency to become attached to one particular figure, this attachment is more important than others.
What did Bowlby mean by the Internal working model?
Acts as a template for future relationships.
Evaluate Bowlby’s Monotropic Theory of attachment.
+There are a number of studies into imprinting (Lorenz), that have shown that attachment is adaptive and innate.
-Theory is socially sensitive and lacks temporal validity.
His viewpoints are now seen as outdated and therefore the findings can’t be generalised to today’s modern society.
+Real life applications for Bowlby’s critical period.
Bowlby’s findings can be applied to transforming hospital care, personal care and also pre schools.
What does the Learning theory of attachment suggest?
Suggests that infants become attached to the person who feeds them through classical and operant conditioning.
What is Classical conditioning?
Learning through association.
What is operant conditioning?
Learning through reinforcement.
Explain classical conditioning in relation to the LT of attachment.
UCS(food) = UCR(pleasure)
UCS(food) + NS(mother) = UCR(pleasure)
CS(mother) = CR (pleasure)
Who proposed the idea of Operant conditioning?
Dollard and Miller
Explain operant conditioning in relation to the LT of attachment.
Food is the primary reinforcer, the person who provides the food becomes the secondary reinforcer.
Give a strength of the learning theory of attachment.
+It is plausible and scientific and it is based on an already established theory of learning.
Increases the validity
Give a limitation of the learning theory of attachment.
- It is ‘two stimulus-response reductionist’.
The explanation reduces human attachments from being nothing more than responses to conditional neutral stimuli. This seems to be a huge oversimplification.
Maybe it’s not just food, maybe it’s love and that’s what models attachment for you.
