Explanations of Attachment
- Created by: gabbyb98
- Created on: 15-03-15 13:00
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- Explanations of Attachment
- Learning Theory - Learning through association.
- Classical Conditioning
- Food (UCS) naturally produces a sense of pleasure (UCR) - reduces discomfort.The person who feeds the infant (CS) becomes associated with the food.
- The feeder is eventually produces the pleasure associated with the food; pleasure now becomes a conditioned response (CR).The association between the individual and sense of pleasure is the attachment bond.
- Food (UCS) naturally produces a sense of pleasure (UCR) - reduces discomfort.The person who feeds the infant (CS) becomes associated with the food.
- Operant Conditioning
- Dollard and Miller (1950)
Offered an explanation for attachment based on operant conditioning.Suggested that a hungry infant feels discomfort and this creates a drive to reduce it.
- When the infant is fed, the drive is reduced and feelings of pleasure are produced.Food becomes the primary reinforcer because it reinforces the behaviour in order to avoid the discomfort.
- The person who supplies the food is associated with avoiding the discomfort and becomes the secondary reinforcer.Attachment occurs because the child seeks the person who can supply the reward.
- When the infant is fed, the drive is reduced and feelings of pleasure are produced.Food becomes the primary reinforcer because it reinforces the behaviour in order to avoid the discomfort.
- Dollard and Miller (1950)
Offered an explanation for attachment based on operant conditioning.Suggested that a hungry infant feels discomfort and this creates a drive to reduce it.
- Evaluation
- Strengths
- We do learn through reinforcement and punishment however food may not be the main reinforcer - it may be that attention and responsiveness from the caregiver are more important rewards that create the attachment.
- Limitations
- Validity: learning theory is based largely on studies with non-human animals therefore results aren't generalisable. (Harlow & Harlow)
- Human behaviour is more influenced by higher order thinking and emotions.
- Schaffer and Emerson Found infants have stronger attachments with those who comfort and communicate with them rather than those who fed them
- Strengths
- Classical Conditioning
- Bowlby's attachment theory (1969) Adaptive and innate
- Attachment is adaptive and innate
- Critical and sensitive period between newly born and 5 years
- Secure Base from which to explore
- Caregiving is Innate
- Monotropy (forming a primary attachment )
- Internal Working Model & Continuity Hypothesis
- Bowlby's attachment theory (1969) Adaptive and innate
- Attachment is adaptive and innate
- Critical and sensitive period between newly born and 5 years
- Secure Base from which to explore
- Caregiving is Innate
- Monotropy (forming a primary attachment )
- Internal Working Model & Continuity Hypothesis
- Internal Working Model develops as a template to base future social relations
- the view that there is a link between early attachment relationship and later emotional behaviour.
- Sroufe et al showed the differences in social etiquette of those with secure attachments and insure attachments
- Schaffer and Emerson
- Internal Working Model & Continuity Hypothesis
- Helped by social releases
- Monotropy (forming a primary attachment )
- Caregiving is Innate
- Hodges and Tizard found that children who had formed no attachment during this period had trouble later in life
- Secure Base from which to explore
- Critical and sensitive period between newly born and 5 years
- Evaluation
- Strengths
- Lorenz (1952) supports the view that imprinting is innate because the goslings imprinted on the first moving object they saw
- attachment and caregiving should be universal. Tronick et al. (1992)
studied an African tribe who live in extended family groups.
- Infants at six months still showed one primary attachment despite the childbearing practices.
- Evidence for monotropy: Schaffer and Emerson (1964)
- Limitations
- Multiple attachment figures: psychologists hold the view that all attachment figures are equally important. titled
- Strengths
- Attachment is adaptive and innate
- Internal Working Model develops as a template to base future social relations
- the view that there is a link between early attachment relationship and later emotional behaviour.
- Sroufe et al showed the differences in social etiquette of those with secure attachments and insure attachments
- Bowlby's attachment theory (1969) Adaptive and innate
- Schaffer and Emerson
- Internal Working Model & Continuity Hypothesis
- Helped by social releases
- Monotropy (forming a primary attachment )
- Caregiving is Innate
- Hodges and Tizard found that children who had formed no attachment during this period had trouble later in life
- Secure Base from which to explore
- Critical and sensitive period between newly born and 5 years
- Evaluation
- Strengths
- Lorenz (1952) supports the view that imprinting is innate because the goslings imprinted on the first moving object they saw
- attachment and caregiving should be universal. Tronick et al. (1992)
studied an African tribe who live in extended family groups.
- Infants at six months still showed one primary attachment despite the childbearing practices.
- Evidence for monotropy: Schaffer and Emerson (1964)
- Limitations
- Multiple attachment figures: psychologists hold the view that all attachment figures are equally important. titled
- Strengths
- Attachment is adaptive and innate
- Learning Theory - Learning through association.
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