Explanations of Attachment

• What was the key study conducted by Lorenz in 1935 about?


  Animal studies of attachment
• What was the procedure of Lorenz's study on imprinting?


  • Divided goose eggs into two groups: one with natural mother (control) and one in incubator (experimental).
  • Observed that the first moving thing the incubator group saw was Lorenz.
  • Placed all with their mothers to see who they would follow.
• What did the incubator group do in Lorenz's study?


  They followed Lorenz everywhere.
• What did Lorenz identify regarding imprinting?


  He identified a critical period in which imprinting should happen.
• What did Lorenz suggest about the process of imprinting?


  It is long-lasting and irreversible.
• What effect did Lorenz suggest imprinting has on later mate preference?


  It has an effect on later mate preference through sexual imprinting.
• What was the key study conducted by Harlow in 1959 about?


  Attachment in infant monkeys reared in isolation.
• What was the procedure of Harlow's study on attachment in monkeys?


  • Infant monkeys had two surrogate mothers: one made of wire (food source) and one made of cloth (no food).
  • Measured time spent with each mother and assessed attachment by introducing a mechanical toy.
• What did Harlow find regarding the monkeys' attachment to the mothers?


  The monkeys used the soft mother as their base and only went to the wire mother for food.
• When did the monkeys go to the soft mother in Harlow's study?


  When they were frightened.
• What does Harlow's study suggest about infant attachment?


  Infants do not develop an attachment to the person who feeds them, but to the person who offers contact comfort.
• What were the long-lasting effects observed in Harlow's monkeys?


  The monkeys developed abnormally due to lack of attachment.
• What are the strengths and limitations of Lorenz's and Harlow's studies?


  Strengths:

  • Provide insight into attachment processes.
  • Support the concept of imprinting.

  
  

  Limitations:

  • Lorenz's findings may not generalize to humans.
  • Harlow's study raised ethical concerns due to distress caused to monkeys.
• What is the learning theory of attachment based on?


  It is based on the idea that all behavior is learned, particularly through food provision.
• What are the two types of conditioning involved in the learning theory?

  1. Classical conditioning: learning by association.
  2. Operant conditioning: learning by reinforcement (positive and negative).
• How does classical conditioning apply to attachment behaviors?


  Infants learn to associate food with the mother or primary caregiver.
• How does operant conditioning apply to attachment behaviors?


  Infants learn that crying or smiling brings a positive response from the mother or caregiver.
• What did Schaffer and Emerson (1969) find regarding attachment?


  Many babies did not have strong attachments to their mothers but to those who interacted with them the most.
• What did Harlow's monkeys (1958) reveal about attachment?


  Monkeys attached to the cloth mother rather than the feeding mother.
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of the learning theory of attachment?


  Strengths:

  • Provides a plausible explanation for how attachments form.
  • Highlights the role of reinforcement and association.

  
  

  Weaknesses:

  • Overly reductionist; emphasizes food too much.
  • Ignores other factors like reciprocity.
• What is Bowlby's Monotropic Theory based on?


  • Based on Charles Darwin's theory of evolution.
  • Suggests attachment is a behavior pattern rooted in biology.
• What is the continuity hypothesis in Bowlby's theory?


  It suggests a link between early attachments and later emotional behavior.
• What are social releasers according to Bowlby?


  • Characteristics that elicit caregiving.
  • Examples include smiling and crying.
• What is the critical period in Bowlby's theory?


  It is the crucial time for attachments to form, believed to be between 3-6 months.
• What is the internal working model in Bowlby's theory?


  • A set of concepts a child learns about relationships.
  • Developed in early childhood based on attachment experiences.
• What was the aim of Hazan and Shaver's Love Quiz study?


  • To investigate the correlation between infant attachment types and adult romantic relationships.
• What were the components of the Love Quiz?


  1. Measure of attachment type (adjective checklist).
  2. Love experience questionnaire (beliefs about romantic love).
• What did Hazan and Shaver find in their study?


  They found a high correlation between infant attachment types and adult romantic love styles.
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of Hazan and Shaver's Love Quiz study?


  Strengths:

  • High population validity (ages 14-82).
  • High ecological validity (real-life relationships).

  
  

  Weaknesses:

  • Potential demand characteristics (dishonesty).
  • Low internal validity (no cause and effect).
• What evidence supports the evolutionary theory of attachment?

  • Schaffer and Emerson (1966): infants attached to those who interacted with them.
  • Tronick et al (1992): infants cared for by others but primarily attached to their mothers.
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of Bowlby's Monotropic Theory?


  Strengths:

  • Real-life applications (parenting programs).
  • Influential in understanding attachment.

  
  

  Weaknesses:

  • Socially sensitive (burden on mothers).
  • Alternative explanations exist (Kagan - genetic influences).