explanations of attachment

• What is operant conditioning?

  Learning by consequences
• What does reinforcement do in operant conditioning?

  Increases the probability of a behavior
• What is positive reinforcement?

  Pleasurable stimulus increasing response probability
• What is negative reinforcement?

  Removal of unpleasant stimulus increasing response
• What does punishment do in operant conditioning?

  Decreases the probability of a behavior
• How does operant conditioning explain a baby's crying for food?

  Crying leads to caregiver response, rewarding the baby
• What is a primary reinforcer?

  Food that satisfies basic needs
• What is a secondary reinforcer?

  A person providing food becomes a reward
• What is the 'Cupboard love theory'?

  Attachments form with those who feed infants
• What did Dollard & Miller argue about feeding and attachment?

  Feeding creates opportunities to learn attachment
• What did Harlow's research show about attachment?

  Comfort and security are important, not just food
• What is a limitation of learning theory in attachment?

  It oversimplifies complex early relationships
• What did Ainsworth find about caregiver behavior?

  Attentiveness and responsiveness are key factors
• What did Schaffer and Emerson argue about infants and attachment?

  Infants actively seek stimulation, not just feeding
• What did Schaffer and Emerson's studies reveal about attachment?

  39% of infants attached to non-feeding caregivers
• What do behaviorist theories ignore in attachment?

  The role of innate behaviors and instincts
• What is Bowlby's monotropic theory focused on?

  Evolutionary aspects of attachment
• What did Fox (1977) investigate?

  Attachment between infants and specialized carers
• What did Fox's study reveal about attachment?

  Infants had stronger attachment to mothers
• What does Social Learning Theory suggest about attachment?

  Parents model attachment behavior for children
• What is the aim of Harlow's study?

  To see if attachments form through food
• What was the procedure in Harlow's study?

  Monkeys raised with two types of surrogate mothers
• What did Harlow's findings suggest about attachment?

  Attachment is based on comfort, not food
• What are the long-term effects of Harlow's study on monkeys?

  Abnormal behaviors and neglectful parenting
• What is a critical period in Harlow's findings?

  Time when attachment effects are irreversible
• What is the IV in Harlow’s study?

  Type of surrogate mother
• What is the DV in Harlow’s study?

  Time spent with each surrogate mother
• Why does Harlow's study not support the learning attachment theory?

  It shows attachment is based on comfort
• What is a positive aspect of Harlow's study?

  It provides insight into attachment formation
• What is a negative aspect of Harlow's study?

  Ethical concerns regarding animal welfare
• What are the two animal studies mentioned in the specification?

  Lorenz's imprinting and Harlow's attachment study
• What is imprinting according to Lorenz?

  Innate readiness to bond with the first moving object
• What is the critical period for imprinting?

  4-25 hours after hatching
• What did Lorenz conclude about imprinting?

  It is irreversible if not formed in time
• What did Lorenz observe about goslings and humans?

  Goslings imprinted on humans as mates
• What is the aim of Lorenz's study?

  To investigate imprinting in geese
• What was the procedure in Lorenz's study?

  Divided goose eggs into two groups
• What did Lorenz's findings suggest about attachment?

  Imprinting is crucial for attachment formation
• What is a limitation of using animals in attachment research?

  Ethical concerns regarding animal rights
• Why do psychologists study non-human animals?

  To understand behavior in controlled settings