explanations of attachment

• outline classical conditioning - learning theory of attachment

  • cupboard love theory
  • attachment is formed when an association is made between food and the primary care giver

  1. food (UCS) = pleasure (UCR)
  2. food + mother (NS) = pleasure
  3. mother (CS) = pleasure (CR)
• outline operant conditioning - learning theory of attachment

  • attachment is learned when the primary caregiver removes the discomfort of hunger with food.
  • positive reinforcement (BABY) = food is reward (primary reinforcer), mother brings food (secondary reinforcer).
  • positive reinforcement (MOTHER) = rewarding experience of affection with baby
  • negative reinforcement (BABY) = taking away hunger and discomfort. infant stops crying.
  • negative reinforcement (MOTHER) = taking away negative experience of crying by feeding baby.
• evaluate learning theory (LIMITATIONS)

  • undermined by animal studies of attachment = Harlow found that the monkeys cuddled with the cloth mother more than the plain wire mother regardless of which dispensed food. This suggests that babies do not form attachment on food alone but prefer contact comfort.
  • lack of support from human baby studies = Isabella et al. found that high levels of interactional synchrony create better quality attachment. This is not related to food and suggests that food is not the main factor of human attachment.
• evaluate learning theory (STRENGTHS)

  • development of the social learning theory = Hay and Vespo suggests that parents teach children to love them, by modelling attachment behaviour. This suggests that social learning theory can better explain attachment, including the active role babies take in forming attachment.
  • elements of conditioning could be involved in attachment = babies may associate comfort (rather than food) with a specific adult. This may influence the babies choice of their main attachment figure.
• state the 4 principles of Bowlby's monotropic theory

  1. evolutionary explanation
  2. critical period
  3. monotropy
  4. internal working model
• outline the evolutionary example - monotropic theory

  • attachment is innate and adaptive
  • social releasers = cute, innate behaviours from infants that trigger attention and attachment responses from caregivers
• outline the critical period - monotropic theory

  2.5 years

  • Bowlby later stated that there's a sensitive period of 5 years = attachment can still form but it is harder and takes longer
• outline monotropy - monotropic theory

  • infants form a main attachment with the PAF during the critical period.
  • more time spent with PAF = more positive outcomes
  • law of continuity
  • law of accumulated separation
• law of continuity - monotropic theory

  consistency = better quality attachment
• law of accumulated separation - monotropic theory

  every separation adds up in a negative way
• outline the internal working model - monotropic theory

  Childs relationship with primary attachment figure acts as a template for expectations of future relationships and how we act in them
• evaluate monotropic theory (STRENGTHS)

  Hazan and Shaver printed a love quiz in a newspaper to find out about peoples early attachment and their later experiences in love.

  • found that securely attached children went on to have healthier and longer lasting relationships
  • has external validity because it applies to real life = the IWM is valid
• evaluate monotropic theory (LIMITS)

  • Schaffer and Emerson found that infants formed multiple important attachments = invalidates monotropic theory that says infants only form one important attachment
  • Harlow found critical period of 90 days before maternal deprivation occurred = invalidates Bowlby's critical period of 2.5 years and that attachment can still happen within 5 years