Attachment

Attachment

1. Learning theory

   • Classical conditioning
     • Learning through association
     • Pavlov conducted research on the salivation reflex in dogs
     • The dogs had come to associate the sound of the door opening with food
     • This can be used to explain attachment
       • Food (UCS) naturally produces a sense of pleasure (UCR)
       • The person who provides food (CS) becomes associated with food and therefore the pleasure associated with food, pleasure now becomes a conditioned response (CR)
       • The association between an individual and a sense of pleasure is the attachment bond
   • Operant conditioning
     • Learning occurs when we are rewarded or punished for doing something
     • If something has a pleasant consequence the behaviour is reinforced and it become more probable that you will repeat that behaviour in the future
     • If something results in a unpleasant consequence it becomes less likely that you will repeat that behaviour
     • These two outcomes are called reinforcement and punishment
   • All behaviour is learnt rather than inborn
   • When children are born they are like blank slates and everything they become can be explained in terms of the experiences they have

2. Bowlby's theory

   • An evolutionary theory because he sees attachment as a behavioural system which has evolved because of its survival value and ultimately its reproductive value
   • Children have an innate drive to become attached to a caregiver because attachment has long term benefits
   • These benefits are similar to the benefits of imprinting, they ensure that a young animal stays close to a caregiver who will protect and feed the young animal, this attachment and imprinting are adaptive behaviours
   • There is likely to be a limited window for the development of attachment (this is the sensitive or critical period).
   • The second quarter of the first year is when infants are most sensitive to the development of attachments
   • The drive to provide caregiving is also innate because it is adaptive
   • Infants are born with certain characteristics called social releasers which elicit caregiving
   • Attachment is important for protection, and thus acts as a secure base from which a child can explore the world a safe haven to return to when threatened
   • The bias towards one individual is the primary attachment - called monotropy.
   • Infants also have other secondary attachments which form a hierarchy
   • An infant becomes most strongly attached to the person who responds most sensitively to the infants social releasers.
   • The primary attachment figure I the main foundation for emotional development, self esteem and later relationhips

3. Types of attachment

4. Cultural variations

5. Disruption of attachment

6. Failure to form attachment

7. Day care