Explanations of Attachment

• What is classical conditioning?

  Learning to associate two stimuli together
• How does classical conditioning relate to attachment?

  It explains how infants become attached to caregivers
• What is the unconditioned stimulus in the context of attachment?

  Food
• What is the unconditioned response in the context of attachment?

  Pleasure
• What is the neutral stimulus in the context of attachment?

  Caregiver
• What happens when a caregiver (neutral stimulus) is paired with food (unconditioned stimulus)?

  It leads to pleasure (unconditioned response)
• What does the caregiver become after being associated with food?

  Conditioned stimulus
• What is the conditioned response in the context of attachment?

  Pleasure from the caregiver
• What is operant conditioning?

  Learning from the consequences of behavior
• How does operant conditioning explain why babies cry for comfort?

  Crying leads to a response from the caregiver
• What happens when a baby's crying is positively reinforced?

  The behavior is likely to be repeated
• What is the mutual reinforcement in the context of attachment?

  Both baby and caregiver benefit from crying
• What does crying provide for the infant in terms of reinforcement?

  Positive reinforcement
• What does the caregiver experience when the baby's crying stops?

  Negative reinforcement
• How does mutual reinforcement strengthen attachment?

  It creates a cycle of rewarding behaviors
• Learning Theory AO3 - Schaffer and Emerson


  • Found that the quality of attachment is more important
  • The sensitive carer picks up on infants signals and responds appropriately (sensitive responsiveness)
  • Hence most primary attachment figures were the mother even when others did the feeding
• Learning Theory AO3 - Harlow’s monkeys


  • Food is not the primary factor when forming first attachments
  • Harlow’s monkeys displayed attachment towards a soft surrogate mother compared to a wire mother that provided food
  • So more important is comfort, warmth and responsiveness of caregiver
• Learning Theory AO3 - Lorenz's goslings


  • Goslings imprinted before they were fed
  • And maintained attachment regardless of whoever fed them
  • Therefore food does not create the attachment bond
• How does Bowlby's evolutionary theory explain attachment?

  Attachment is an innate process for survival
• What is the purpose of attachment according to Bowlby?

  To keep the baby close for safety
• How is attachment behavior described across cultures?

  It operates similarly in almost all cultures
• What does the term "secure base" refer to in attachment theory?

  A safe context for exploration and learning
• Why is attachment important for a child's survival?

  It ensures the child remains close to caregivers
• What innate behaviors do infants have to ensure attachment?

  Behaviors like smiling and crying
• What is meant by "monotropy" in Bowlby's theory?

  One main attachment figure is crucial
• What is the critical period for forming attachments according to Bowlby?

  By 2 1/2 years of age
• What are social releasers in the context of attachment?

  Innate behaviors that encourage adult attention
• What is the internal working model (IWM) in attachment theory?

  A mental representation of the primary attachment figure
• How does the IWM affect future relationships?

  Shapes expectations of relationships based on early experiences
• What does the continuity hypothesis suggest?

  Early relationships predict later adult relationships
• What are the main components of Bowlby’s Monotropic Theory of Attachment?

  • Attachment is innate and serves an evolutionary function
  • Monotropy emphasizes one main attachment figure
  • Critical period for attachment is by 2 1/2 years
  • Social releasers activate adult interactions
  • Internal working model shapes future relationships
  • Continuity hypothesis links early and later relationships
• Monotropic Theory AO3 - Concept of monotropy lacks validity

  • Schaffer and Emerson found that although babies have one specific attachment first, they also develop multiple attachments
  • Although first attachment does have a strong influence on behaviour, it may just mean it is stronger - not necessarily different in quality from other attachments (ex. other attachments to family members provide all same key qualities)
  • This means that Bowlby may be incorrect that there is a unique quality and importance to the child’s primary attachment
• Monotropic Theory AO3 - Support for social releasers

  • Brazelton et al observed babies trigger interactions with adults using social releasers
  • Researchers then instructed the babies’ primary attachment figure to ignore the social releasers - to which the babies become increasingly distressed
  • This illustrates the role of social releasers in emotional development and suggests that they are important int eh process of attachment development
• Monotropic Theory AO3 - Support for internal working models

  • Bailey et al assessed att. relationships in mothers and their babies + mothers att. to their own primary att. figures
  • Found that mothers with poor att. to their own primary att. figures were more likely to have poorly att. babies
  • However there are other important influences on social development
  • Kornienko - genetic differences in anxiety and sociality affect social behaviour in both babies and adults
  • This means that Bowlby may have overestimated the importance of the IWM