Explanations of attachment

• Explanation of attachment - Learning theory, Dollard & Miller


  Classical conditioning = caregiver (ns) associated with food (us), caregiver becomes conditioned stimulus

  Operant conditioning = crying behaviour reinforced positively for baby and negatively for caregiver

  Attachment becomes a secondary drive through association with hunger
• Learning theory evaluation

  +social learning theory

  +conditioning may influence the choice of primary attachment figure

  -counter evidence from animal studies

  -counter evidence from human studies
• Explanations of attachment - Bowlby’s monotropic theory

  Adaptive = attachment helps us survive

  Social releasers = innate cute behaviours elicit care

  Critical period = 2 1/2 years to make an attachment

  Monotropy = one particular attachment is different in quality and importance than others

  Internal working model = mental representation of the primary attachment relationship is a template for future relationships
• Bowlby’s evaluation

  +support for social releasers, Brazelton found babies became upset when attachment figure ignored social releasers

  +support for internal working model, Bailey found quality of attachment is passed on through generations

  -the primary attachment may be stronger but not different in nature