ATTACHMENT Flashcards
(67 cards)
What is attachment
Strong emotional tie that develops over time between an infant and their primary caregiver
Which 2 pychologists studied into attachment of animals
-Lorenz 1935 geese
Harlow 1959 monkey
What was the aim of Lorenzs Study
To investigate the mechanisms of imprinting where the youngsters follow and form an attachment to the first large, moving object that they meet.
What was the procedure of Lorenzs study
- goslings were hatched either with their mother or in an incubator
- Once goslings had hatched they proceeded to follow the first moving object that they saw between 13 & 16 hours after hatching
What did Lorenz Find
geese follow the first moving object they see
What did Lorenz conclude
Lorenz concluded that the process of “imprinting” was a natural instinct
What are 2 limitations of Lorenzs study into attachment
- Criticised due to its age. E.g., conducted in 1930 attachment behaviour has changed dramatically= Might not be valid anymore.
- Issues with extrapilation. E.g., subjects of his research were non-human animals= cannot generalise to human infants and care givers
What are 2 Strengths of Lorenzs study into attachment
- Positives to studying non-human animals. E.g., they provide a simpler model of behaviour as they are less sophisticated and behaviours more easy to interpretate.
- Although outdated inspired future research. E.g., Imprinting occurs within a set time= Pratical applications critical period
What has the Aim of Harlows Study
to study the nature of attachment and how it affects monkeys who were deprived of their mothers early in life
What was Harlows procedure
separated two infant monkeys from their mothers immediately after birth and placed in cages with access to two surrogate mothers, one made of wire and one covered in soft terry toweling cloth
What did Harlow Conclude
never forming an attachment bond is permanently damaging to monkeys
What are 2 strengths of Harlows study into attachment
- Harlow’s research has profound implications for childcare. Due to the importance of early experiences on long-term development, it is vital that all of children’s needs are catered for; taking care of a child’s physical needs alone is not sufficient.
- Green (1994) states that, on a biological level at least, all mammals (including rhesus monkeys) have the same brain structure as humans; the only differences relates to size and the number of connections.
What are 2 Limitations of Harlows study into attachment
- The use of animals in research can be questioned on ethical grounds. It could be argued that animals have a right not to be researched/ harmed. The pursuit of academic conclusions for human benefits could be seen as detrimental to non-human species.
- It is questionable whether findings and conclusions can be extrapolated and applied to complex human behaviours. It is unlikely that observations of goslings following a researcher or rhesus monkeys clinging to cloth-covered wire models reflects the emotional connections and interaction that characterises human attachments.
What are 2 explanations of attachment
- Learning Theory
- Bowlbys Monotrpoic Theory
What Learning Theory Claim
That We are born as blank slates and that we learn everything about attachment from our environment via classical and operant conditioning
What is classical Conditioning
learning through association
What is Operant Conditioning
a method of learning that employs rewards and punishments for behavior
Who carried out research into the cupboard love theory
Dollard and Miller 1950
What is the Cupboard love Theory
infant’s instinctual needs for food, security, and oral sexual gratification are all satisfied by the mother.
What did Dollard and Miller find in their study of the cupboard love theory
Infants learn to associate the caregiver with the feelings of pleasure when fed this reinforces the behaviour
What are 2 Limitations of evaluation of the learning theory
- conditioning is better at explaining simple behaviours. E.g., process of infant care-giver is complex process= environmentally reductionist.
- contradicting research for learning theory of attachment. E.g., bowlby babies only need food occasionally but require emotional care more often= cupboard love theory incorrect to say main reason for attachment
What are 2 strengths of evaluation of the learning theory
- provide explanation of how attachments form. E.g., learn number of ways through association in real life=plays part in attachment formation
- Harlows monkey explain operant conditioning. E.g., infant cold seek comfort as positively reinforcement=spend most time on cloth surrogate mother
What does Bowlbys Monotropic Theory suggest
attachment is important for a child’s survival
What are the 8 stages of Bowlbys Monotropic Theory
Survival Innate Tendency Natural Selection Monotropy Reciprocal Social Releasers Critical period Long term Benefits
