Explanations of Attachment

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Chanelle Titchener
Flashcards by Chanelle Titchener, updated more than 1 year ago
Chanelle Titchener
Created by Chanelle Titchener about 6 years ago
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Question Answer
Learning Theory - Classical Conditioning - Operant Conditioning - Social Learning Theory
Classical Conditioning - First investigated by Pavlov - Things become associated with food because they are present at the time of being fed - Food = UCS / Pleasure = UCR - Mother = NS = No response - NS = CS / Pleasure = CR
Operant Conditioning - First investigated by Skinner - Hunger = discomfort - Food = primary reinforcer - Negative reinforcement = the removal of hunger = reward
Social Learning Theory - First investigated by Bandura - Modelling can be used to explain attachment behaviours - Children observe their parent's affectionate behaviour and imitate this
Evaluation Learning theory is based on animal research > Skinner's rats / Pavlov's dogs > Limited generalisability to complex human behaviours > Non-behaviourists suggest innate predispositions
Evaluation Contact comfort is more important than food > Limitation of learning theory > Feeding has nothing to do with attachment (Harlow)
Evaluation Learning theory has some explanatory power > Infants do learn through association and reinforcement > Food is not a primary reinforcer but may be attention and responsiveness
Bowlby's Monotropic Attachment Theory - Critical period - infants have the innate drive for attachments and have a time period for development - Social releasers - smiling elicits a caring response - innate mechanism - Monotropy - infants have one special emotional bond with the primary attachment figure
Bowlby's Theory - Consequences of attachment - An infant has a single special relationship and forms a mental representation of this relationship (Internal working model) 1 - short-term insight into caregiver's behaviour 2 - long-term template for future relationships
Evaluation Is attachment adaptive? > Important in emotional development but less critical for survival > Monkeys cling to their mother's fur to become attached as soon as possible > Humans do not need to cling onto their mothers as they get picked up
Evaluation A sensitive period rather than critical? > Should not be possible to form attachments beyond the critical period > Rutter suggested that this is true to some extent - less likely to form after this point but not impossible
Evaluation Multiple attachments vs monotropy > No primary or secondary attachment figures but are all integrated into a single internal working model
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