explanations of attachment

• The learning theory was proposed by Dollard and Miller. The main assumption was that children become attached to their caregiver because they give them food referred to as 'cupboard love theory'.
• Classical conditioning= learning by association

  This type of learning occurs when two stimuli are repeatedly paired together to the point where both stimuli present the same response. Can be a negative or positive response.
• Operant conditioning= learning by reinforcement

  A hungry infant feels uncomfortable and this creates a drive to reduce the discomfort. Food is given to the infant ( reward). The caregiver is then associated to the food so an attachment is formed because the infant learns they supply 'reward'. However some behaviours can lead to a punishment.
• A limitation is that schaffer and emerson found that the type of attachment is more important. E.g. a sensitive caregiver who picks up on an infants signals and responds appropriately. Hence most primary attachment figures were the mother even when others did the feeding. This suggests that attachments are made with not just who feeds it.
• Harlows contact comfort theory contradicts the learning theory. It found that food is not the primary factor when forming first attachments. It is more important to have comfort, warmth and responsiveness from the caregiver.
• Lorenzs imprinting theory also contradicts the theory as the goslings attached to him before they were fed and maintained an attachment with him regardless of whoever feeds them. Therefore food does not create the attachment bond
• Bowlbys theory suggests that attachment is an innate system that gave a survival advantage.
• Monotropy= The need to attach to one main attachment figure. It suggests that one relationship is more important.
• Critical period= It is around 2-2.5 years, if the infant doesnt form an attchment then it may struggle to do so later on.
• Social releasers= Babies are born with a set of cute behaviours such as smiling that encourages attention from adults. The purpose is to activate social interaction so the adult can attach to the baby.
• Internal working model= A childs relationship with a primary caregiver provides a template which influences later relationships. It is a representation for understanding how relationships work. An interaction is guided by their internal working model which influences and helps evaluate their contact with others.
• There is mixed evidence for monotropy as one study suggests that babies make multiple attachments and that the type of attachment is more important. Bowlby may be incorrect that there is a unique quality and importance to a childs primary attachment.
• There is support for social releasers as cute behaviours are made to elicit a response from caregivers. Brazelton conducted an experiment observing how babies trigger social releasers. Primary attachment figures left babies alone which made them distressed. This illustrates the role of social releasers in emotional development, they are important for attachment.