Attachment Studies

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Learning theory- Harlow -'The Origins of Love'

  • Investigating whether or not feeding has anything to do w/ attachment
  • He created two wire monkey 'mothers'-one was a wire cage w/ a milk bottle attached, the other was wrapped in soft cloth but offered no food
  • Learning theory states the monkey should have been attached to the food giving mother, as it reduced the hunger drive, but it actually spent most time wit the cloth mother, clinging to it when frightened-proximity seeking behaviour
  • This shows contact comfort is more important than food in regards to the development of attachment.
1 of 4

Learning theory- Schaffer + Emerson

  • Observed 60 babies from working class families over a year
  • Infants become most attached to the person that spent the most time with them, was the most responsive and who interacted with them the most.
  • NOT who fed them.
  • This shows that association and reinforcement only PARTLY affect attachment
2 of 4

Learning theory- Harlow -'The Origins of Love'

  • Investigating whether or not feeding has anything to do w/ attachment
  • He created two wire monkey 'mothers'-one was a wire cage w/ a milk bottle attached, the other was wrapped in soft cloth but offered no food
  • Learning theory states the monkey should have been attached to the food giving mother, as it reduced the hunger drive, but it actually spent most time wit the cloth mother, clinging to it when frightened-proximity seeking behaviour
  • This shows contact comfort is more important than food in regards to the development of attachment.
3 of 4

Learning theory- Harlow -'The Origins of Love'

  • Investigating whether or not feeding has anything to do w/ attachment
  • He created two wire monkey 'mothers'-one was a wire cage w/ a milk bottle attached, the other was wrapped in soft cloth but offered no food
  • Learning theory states the monkey should have been attached to the food giving mother, as it reduced the hunger drive, but it actually spent most time wit the cloth mother, clinging to it when frightened-proximity seeking behaviour
  • This shows contact comfort is more important than food in regards to the development of attachment.
4 of 4

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