Explanations of Attachment

Social Learning Theory as an explanation of Attachment

Classical Conditioning - The baby learns to expect food when they see the person who feeds them, so that they eventually show a pleasurable response - or love.

Operant Conditioning - Behaviours which produce a positive consequence are repeated, those that yeild a negative one aren't. The baby learns that crying gives it comfort and milk, the caregiver learns that giving the baby food or comfort stops it from crying.

Evaluation

• Harlow shows that baby monkeys seek proximity to the mother who comforts them over the one who feeds them, adn Lorenz shows that geese imprint before they are even fed and maintain this attachment regardless of food.
• Human research like schaffer and Emerson also disproves this. They found that most babies attached to the one who interacted most with them, not just the one who fed them the most.
• It ignores other factoprs, like reciprocity and interactional synchrony.

Bawlby's monotropic theory

Adaptive: It is an instinctive process existing as insurance that the baby will survive.

Social Releasers: Instinctive behaviours designed to keep the caregiver close.

Critical Period: Attachments…