explanations of attatchments

• what are the two explanations for attatchment

  learning theory

  monotropic (evolutionary) theory
• what is the learning theory

  suggests that attatchment behaviour is learnt from an individuals environment (supports nurture in nature vs nurture)
• who came up with the learning theory

  dollard and miller
• what are two types of learning for the learning theory

  classical conditioning

  operant conditioning
• what is classical conditioning for the learning theory

  learning by association

  
  

  an unconditioned stimulus (food) has am unconditioned response of pleasure

  the person giving the food (mum) is associated with the unconditioned responce of food

  
  

  eventually the prescence of mum becomes the conditioned stimulus and brings about a conditioned responce of pleasure without the need of food
• what is operant conditioning for the learning theory

  behaviour gets repeated is positively reinforced

  
  

  a baby cries if it is hungry

  food satisfies the babies hunger and makes it comfy again

  
  

  the food acts as a primary reinforcer and the mum who is associated with giving the food is a secondary reinforcer

  therefore mum is a source of reward and thus the behaviours are repeated and an attatchment is formed
• what does the learning theory suggest attatchment is driven by

  our need to be fed + food - sometimes referred to as the 'cupboard love' theory
• negative evaluation of the learning theory


  schaffer and emerson found that for 60 scottish babies in a natural observation lasting 18 months 39% of infants had a primary attatchment figure who was not the person who bathed or fed them

  
  

  this contradicts the learning 'cupboard love' theory

  - because it suggests that whoever feeds the kid the most MUST be the primary attatchment figure

  - this research shows that almost 40% of children did not apply to the learning theory

  -shows that feeding is not the way to form attatchments

  
  

  
  

  the learning theory also ignores other factors associated with forming attachments

  - social needs

  - emotional needs

  quality of caregiver-infant interactions seems to be associated with these factors and reciprocity and interactional synchrony demonstrate that adults are reponding to the social/emo needs and not just physical
• who came up with the monotropic/evolutionary theory

  john bowlby
• what is the main principle of the monotropic/ evolutionary theory

  attatchment is to one caregiver which has evolved through natural selection

  and that emotional needs are as important as physical needs
• main factors of the evolutionary theory

  innate predisposition

  monotropy

  social releasers

  critical period

  internal working model

  adaptive
• what is innate predisposition


  the idea that children are born with the need to form an attachment to a caregiver
• what is monotropy


  the idea that single attachment to one person is the most important to a baby

  this is most likely the mother but it can be a mother subsitute
• what is social releasers


  characteristics that infants are born with that encourage them being cared for eg smiling or crying
• what is critical period in bowlbys theory

  a 'window' where an infant attachment system is maximally sensitive between 3-6 months but it could extend depending on the infant

  
  

  if the attachment has not formed in this critical period they may find it hard to form one later
• what is internal working model


  bowlby suggested that children develop a 'template' for future relationships which are based on your attatchment experiences as a child
• what is adaptive in bowlbys theory

  that forming attatchments is a process which has evolved as it helps people survive and reach maturity and therefore reproduce
• evaluation of bowlbys theory (positive)

  support for internal working model

  
  

  Sroufe et al

  - tested what affect early attatchments have on later rels

  - the study found continuity between early attatchment and later emotional and social behaviour

  
  

  findings of it:

  - individuals who were classified as securely attched in infancy were highest rated for social competance and were less socially isolated and were more empathetic
• evaluation of bowlbys theory (negative)

  shaffer and emerson's research suggests monotropy is not essential for attatchment formation

  
  

  monotropy might be a socially sensitive concept

  
  

  the concept of a critical period has been criticised
• elaborate on 'monotropy is not essential' eval point

  shaffer and emersons reasearch showed it is not essential to attatchment

  
  

  most babies did attach to one primary attachment figure first, they also found that 47% appeared to be able to form multiple attatchments without forming a single primary attatchment first

  
  

  - this suggests that multiple attachments may be the norm rather than a single primary attachment
• elaborate on monotropy being a socially sensitive concept eval point

  monotropy suggests that kids may be disadvantaged by certain child rearing practices

  
  

  most notably

  - mothers returning to work quickly after birth can restrict opportunities for attachment to form

  - this could be used to restrict freedom of choice for women
• elaborate on concept of critical period being criticised eval point


  according to bowlby it shouldn't be possible to form an attatchment beyond the critical period but

  
  

  rutter et al

  found that it is less likely for attachments to form after this period but not impossible

  
  

  this shows: you can still form attachments after the critical period contrary to bowlbys theory