Attachment

Attachment

1. EXPLANATIONS OF ATTACHMENT

   • Learning Theory
     • All behaviour is learned
       • CC - food produces pleasure, feeder (mother) associated with food so also leads to pleasure
         • OC - food = primary reinforcer, 'feeder' becomes secondary reinforcer
           • Both reduce discomfort & are rewarding
     • Strengths
       • We do learn through conditioning, food is not the only factor (attention & responsiveness also important)
     • Weaknesses
       • Harlow showed that food is less important than contact comfort, supported by research - infants not necessarily attached to adult who fed them
     • Validity - animal studies
   • Bowlby's Theory
     • Attachment is adaptive & innate, related to imprinting (for survival)
       • Sensitive period
         • Caregiving is also innate & adaptive - aided by social releasers
           • Secure base provided for exploration
             • Primary attachment = most important (monitory) but secondary attachments also important
               • Internal working model develops based on primary attachment relationship
                 • Continuity hypothesis - link between early attachment & later social development
     • Strengths
       • Research support - imprinting in animals
         • Sensitive period - Rutter
           • Universality - Tronick
             • Monotropy
               • Caregiver sensitivity - Harlow
                 • Continuity hypothesis
     • Weaknesses
       • Other attachments important e.g. father & siblings but still may be pri & sec attachments
       • Temperament hypothesis offers alternative explanation
     • ID - different types of attachment - secure & insecure
     • Cultural variations - attachment may lead to dependence rather than independence in some cultures
     • RWA - parenting programmes, dealing with separation & day care

2. DIFFERENCES IN ATTACHMENT