Explanations of attachment Flashcards
(21 cards)
What is the learning theory of attachment?
Classical and operant conditioning
How does classical conditioning apply to attachment?
Infant learns to associate feeding/comfort with primary carer (food provider)
-mother acquires comforting properties by association
-Attachment is always to the food provider as the association between an individual and a sense of pleasure is the attachment bond
How does operant conditioning apply to attachment?
-infant learns crying=positive response from adults (positive reinforcement)
-adult learns responding to crying brings relief from crying (negative reinforcement)
-the reward is food and this is the main reinforcer
-infant become attached to person who supplies food. This mutual reinforcement strengthens attachment
Describe attachment as a secondary drive?
Primary drive is hunger- were motivated to eat to reduce hunger drive
Secondary drive is attachment- as its learned through association with the satisfaction of the primary drive (hunger)
Give 3 limitations of the learning theory of attachment
-Harlows monkeys
-Lorenz research
-Schaffer and Emerson
How is Harlows monkeys a limitation of learning theory of attachment?
Harlow challenges the learning theory as monkeys prefer comfort and not food
How is Lorenz research a limitation of learning theory of attachment?
lorenz challenges learning theory as it shows geese imprint when they hatch- attachment is innate
How is Schaffer ands Emerson research a limitation of learning theory of attachment?
IT challenges learning theory as primary attachment is to the person most responsive to social releases- not necessarily food provider
Give a counter to all 3 limitations
Conditioning may still be involved eg- through association with person providing emotional comfort (not just food)
Give a anagram to remember Bowlbys monotropic theory
I (innate)
Sing (social releasers)
My (monotropy)
Song (secure base)
In (internal working model)
Crete (critical period)
What were the first 3 key concepts of Bowlby’s monotropic theory?
(6 in total)
-Attachment is innate- biologically pre programmed into child for survival
-Infants emit social releases to stimulate caregiving from adults
-Monotropy- Infants form a primary attachment to whomever responds best to their social releasers
What were the next 3 key concepts of bowlbys monotropic theory?
Secure base- primary attachment figure is used as a safe base when exploring
Internal working model- primary attachment figure is mental template for future relationships
Critical period- If child doesn’t form primary attachment by 2.5yr it’ll struggle to form one at all and may be negative concs for development
What is the internal working model?
a mental model of the world which helps a child to predict and control its environment
Give a strength of Bowlbys monotropic theory
(3 studies)
supporting research
-Schaffer and Emerson (supports monotropy)
-Harlows monkeys (supports critical period, internal working model, monotropy and secure base)
-Shaver (supports internal working model)
How does Schaffer and emerson study support monotropy?
Found that around 80% of babies form a primary attachment to mothers around 7 months
Supports Bowlbys theory because it shows children have one primary attachment
How does Harlows monkeys support the secure base concept?
It shows the monkeys returned to the cloth mother (primary attachment) when frightened and for security
This can also be applied to human infants who use primary attachment as a secure base
How does shavers study support the internal working model?
He gave ppt a love quiz and the results showed that there was a link between early attachment and behaviour in later relationships
Supports as internal working model suggests early attachment reflects later relation ships- trust it
Give 2 limitations of Bowlbys attachment theory
- Primary or multiple attachment
-Temperament theory
How is primary or multiple attachment a limitation
Not all children develop a primary attachment- some have multiple attachments (20% in Schaffer and Emerson study). Showing monotropy may not be essential for attachment
What is the temperament theory? And why is it a limitation of Bowlbys theory and internal working model
Its an alternative theory to Bowlbys
Temperament theory suggests a child’s personality affects their attachment type (secure or insecure) and their later relationships
Monotropic- suggests internal working model formed by primary attachment effects later relationships
What does Bowlbys monotropic theory an Kagans temprament theory both suggest?
That primary attachments affect later relationships
-Monotropy- later relationships driven by internal working model
-Temprament- later relationships driven by child’s personality
