Psychology: Animal studies, Learning Theory, Bowlby's Monotropic theory, Maternal Deprivation Theory

Question 1

Explain how a child becomes attached to the food provider using the key terms:

Unconditioned Stimulus (food)
Unconditioned response (comfort)
Neutral stimulus (food provider)
Conditioned stimulus (food provider)
Conditioned response (comfort)

Answer 1

(US) Food —> (UR) Pleasure
(NS) Mother —> No Response

(NS) Mother + (US) Food —> (UR) Pleasure

(CS) Mother —> (CR) Pleasure

Question 2

Explain how the attachment bond is reinforced through both positive and negative reinforcement

Answer 2

• Infant learns that crying brings positive response from adults (Positive Reinforcement)
• Adult learns that responding to cries etc. brings relief from noise (Negative Reinforcement)
• The reward is food and this is the main reinforcer
• Infant becomes attached to the person who supplies the food
• This mutual Reinforcement strengthens the attachment

Question 3

What is meant by attachment as a secondary drive

Answer 3

Attachment is the Secondary Drive as it is learned through association with the satisfaction of the Primary Drive (Hunger)

Question 4

Explain how Lorenz’s research challenges (goes against) learning theory

Answer 4

Challenges learning theory as it shows geese imprint when they hatch - attachment is Innate

Question 5

Explain how Harlow’s research challenges (goes against) learning theory

Answer 5

Challenges Learning Theory a monkeys prefer comfort not food

Question 6

What does it mean to have an innate drive to attach?

Answer 6

Biologically pre-programmed into children at birth for survival

Question 7

Why is attachment passed on in genes?

Answer 7

For survival

Question 8

What are Social releasers and how to they help children attach?

Answer 8

Infants emit social releasers, which stimulate caregiving from adults e.g. looking cute, cooking, smiling, crying

Question 9

What does Bowlby mean by monotropy?

Answer 9

Infants form a primary Attachment to whomever responds best to their social releasers

Question 10

What does Bowlby mean by a Critical period for forming attachments?

Answer 10

If a child doesn’t form a primary attachment by 2.5 years, it will struggle to form one at all. There are be negative consequences for a child’s development

Question 11

What does it mean to have a secure base?

Answer 11

The primary attachment figure is used as a safe base for exploring the world

Question 12

What is meant by the Internal Working model?

Answer 12

The primary Attachment figure is the (mental) template for future social relationships

Question 13

How does Lorenz’s research on imprinting support Bowlby’s theory?

Answer 13

Supports attachment innate, critical period

Question 14

How does Harlow’s research on monkey’s support Bowlby’s theory? Refer to biological instinct, monotropy, secure base, internal working model

Answer 14

Supports critical period, Monotropy, internal working model, secure base

Question 15

How does Schaffer and Emerson’s research support Bowlby’s theory?

Answer 15

Observing babies in their own home - supports Monotropy

Question 16

What evidence is there against the concept of monotropy?

Answer 16

Not all children develop a primary attachment - some have multiple only (20% in Schaffer and Emerson study) - Is Monotropy necessary?

Question 17

How does Bailey’s research support Bowlby’s theory?

Answer 17

Assessed 99 mother’s and quality of attachment to their babies (by observation and their own mother’s (by interview). Association found between poor attachment as a child and poor attachment with own children, supports the Internal Working Model

Question 18

How do studies on adoption support the Critical Period concept?

Question 19

How does the concept of temperament challenge Bowlby’s theory?

Answer 19

(Kagan) - personality could be underlying cause of attachment type and later relationships (not responsiveness) - Challenges concept of internal working model

Question 20

Describe the procedure Lorenz used to study attachment in geese

Answer 20

Studied Imprinting: Birds follow the first moving object they see within a critical period

Randomly divided goose eggs: half the eggs hatched in natural environment with goose mother first moving object they saw (control group), half hatched in incubator with with Lorenz first moving object they saw (experimental group)

Question 21

Describe the results of Lorenz’s study

Answer 21

• Control group imprinted to goose mother and followed her everywhere
• Experimental group imprinted to Lorenz + followed him everywhere
• Mixed up the groups and they continued to follow the thing they had imprinted to
• Critical Period for geese identified as 12-17 hours –> if Imprinting does not occur in this period geese do not attach to a mother figure at all

Question 22

What is meant by sexual imprinting

Answer 22

Lorenz found that birds which imprinted on humans would display courtship towards humans. He called this sexual imprinting - supports internal working model

Question 23

Explain how Lorenz’s study support’s the idea that attach is innate

Answer 23

Lorenz’s research shows attachment is Innate (which supports Bowlby), so although not identical in humans, the purpose of attachment for survival is the same. Also supports concept of internal working model, similar in humans.

Question 24

Why is it difficult to generalise the findings of Lorenz’s research to human babies?

Answer 24

Humans don’t imprint - their attachment behaviour is very different,for example it is two-way process, based on emotional needs, Critical Period is longer (up to 2.5 yrs), Primary attachment at 7 months - suggests Lorenz’s research may not apply to humans

Question 25

Describe the procedure Harlow used to study attachment in monkeys

Answer 25

Tested to see if baby rhesus monkeys preferred soft, cloth mother (providing comfort) or wire mother providing milk (physical needs) - 16 baby monkeys left separately with each 'mother' to see which they prefer - Measured how long they spent with each 'mother' - Also tested to see which mother they would run to gene frightened

Question 26

Describe the results of Harlow’s study

Answer 26

- All spent most time with soft, cloth mother and only went to wire mother for food --> Didn't form attachment to the food provider - Shows emotional needs (comfort) more important than food in attachment formation

Question 27

Harlow's research - findings

Answer 27

- Found all monkeys reared without real mother had permanent effects of maternal deprivation - more aggressive + less sociable, less skilled at mating + became neglectful / aggressive mother supports the interna; working model - 90 day critical period for attachment formation - if do not attach in this period there will be permanent irreversible damage

Question 28

Explain what is meant by the ‘cost vs. benefit’ of Harlow’s research

Answer 28

Does the knowledge gained about importance of attachment outweigh cost to monkeys?

Question 29

What is the practical value of Harlow’s research?

Answer 29

- Helped social workers and clinical psychologists understand the effects a lack of bonding experience may have on children later on in life - They are now more aware of this risk factor and are more likely to intervene to prevent poor outcomes

Question 30

How does Harlow’s research generalise (apply) to human infants?

Answer 30

Rhesus monkeys are more similar to humans than most other animals,a Nd share attachment behaviours similarities in attachment, internal working model, secure base, comfort above food, maternal deprivation all found in human too

Question 31

How does Harlow’s research not generalise (apply) to human infants?

Answer 31

- But, the human brain and behaviour is much more complex than that of monkeys - some aspects of attachment are different - Concept of critical period may be different in humans - some children do recover (Romanian orphans) so more of a sensitive period

Question 32

Describe what is meant by the ‘internal Working Model’ A01

Answer 32

A mental model of the world which helps a child to predict and control its environment Early attachment acts as a template for future relationships as it generates predictions about how people behave For example, a child who has a secure, loving relationship with its Primary attachment figure as a child, will be more likely to trust others and feel secure in future relationships

Question 33

What is meant by ‘Maternal Deprivation’?

Answer 33

'Prolonged deprivation of a young child of maternal care may have garve and far-reaching effects on his character ... similar on form ... to deprivation of vitamins in infancy' Developed before his Monotropic theory of attachment Key ideas: Long term separation (maternal deprivation) from primary attachment in early childhood (within the critical period) has serious consequences Consequences are on a child's intellectual, social and emotional development

Question 34

Give 3 effects of Maternal Deprivation

Answer 34

1. EFFECTS ON EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT - Maternal Deprivation is linked Low IQ (mental retardation) - Children raised in orphanages (lack primary attachment figure) have lower IQs than fostered / adopted children 2. EFFECTS ON EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT - Bowlby said maternal deprivation can lead to affectionless Psychopathy - lack of empathy, guilt, empathy 3. EFFECTS ON SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT - More likely to show delinquent (criminal) behaviour

Question 35

What is meant by the Critical period and when is it for humans?

Answer 35

- The first 30 months is the critical period for psychological development - If a child is deprived of emotional care from a mother figure (or substitute) for an extended period, psychological damage inevitable

Question 36

How does Harlow’s monkeys support Maternal Deprivation theory? Hint; what were the long term effects on monkeys raised in isolation?

Answer 36

Unable to form attachment, aggressive, lacked basic skills, not good mother

Question 37

Bowlby's 44 thieves study

Answer 37

- Interviewed 'thieves' for signs of 'Affectionless Psychopathy' (lack of affection, guilt, empathy) - Comparison of 'delinquent' (i.e. criminal) and 'disturbed' children (control group)

Question 38

Bowlby’s 44 thieves study. How many ‘thieves’ did Bowlby study? What personality trait was he looking for when interviewing the thieves? How many ‘thieves’ did Bowlby say had this type of personality? How many thieves had experienced maternal deprivation? How does this study support maternal deprivation theory?

Answer 38

- 32% of delinquents had an 'affectionless character' - Apparent inability to relate to others - 86% of these has experienced maternal deprivation - Only 3% of Control group experienced maternal deprivation Conclusion: early separation / deprivation caused affectionless Psychopathy + criminal behaviour

Question 39

Why does the Czech twins study challenge the Maternal Deprivation theory?

Answer 39

Isolated from 18 months - 7 yrs in cellar with no primary attachment. No lasting long term effects - shows some children do recover form MD - not degradable to all MD

Question 40

Why does Lewis (1954) study challenge the Maternal Deprivation theory?

Answer 40

Replicated 44 thieves study on larger scale (550 children), found no link between maternal deprivation and criminality - might have been researcher bias in BTMD Some children raised in Orphanages do recover (institutionalisation)

Question 41

Criticisms of Bowlby's Theory of Maternal Deprivation

Answer 41

- Consequences of Deprivation are not inevitable (see evidence of children who do recover) - Failure to distinguish between Privation (lack of any attachment) and deprivation (loss / separation) - Criticisms of 44 thieves study - 'Affectionless psychopathy' diagnosis made by Bowlby - possibility of bias

Question 42

What are the practical applications of Maternal Deprivation theory? e.g hospitals

Answer 42

A sensitive application of Bowlby's MD has been to raise the importance of the damaging effects of MD and therefore change the way children are looked after in hospital. Children are no longer separated from their parents for long periods, regular visiting is encouraged and children are given a key worker to act as a partial maternal figure during their stay. However, MD theory has been crises for suggesting working mothers could be causing long term damage to their children by their prolonged absence which may not be the case as Bowlby's may have overrated the effects of MD.

Question 43

Why has MD theory been criticised for being against working mothers?

Answer 43

- Socially sensitive research suggests mother's are harming their children through repeated separation by going to work. This limited women's role in the workplace and reinforced gender stereotypes. - However, positive implications too - social workers now understand the consequences of lack of primary attachment and so foster carers encouraged to form attachments with children in care

Question 44

Why has the Critical period been described as more of a sensitive period?

Answer 44

Critical period is more of a sensitive period - some children do recover from Maternal Deprivation and don't have lasting consequences