Attachment 2

Attachment 2

1. Animal Attachments

   • LORENZ 1935
     • Geese Eggs
       • Half left with mother
         • Saw mother first
       • Half placed in incubator
         • Saw Lorenz first
       • Once hatched, they were placed under a box to see who they followed when it was lifted
     • Findings
       • Those that saw mother first, followed her. Those who saw Lorenz, followed him
       • This only happened if exposed to a large object between 4-25 hours after hatching
     • EVALUATION
       • Tells us little about human attachment
       • Research to contradict
       • Led Bowlby to consider a critical period for attachment in humans
   • HARLOW 1959
     • Monkeys
       • Wire Monkey with bottle
       • Soft Cloth Monkey without bottle
       • Harlow observed- How long each monkey spent with the two monkeys and who the monkeys clung to when scared by mechanical bear
     • Findings
       • All monkeys spent most time with soft cloth monkey
       • Those who fed from the wire monkey only clung long enough to feed
       • All monkeys sought comfort from the cloth monkey when frightened
     • Conclusion
       • Infants don't development an attachment to those who feed them but to who comforts them
     • EVALUATION
       • Unethical- Wouldn't be allowed today due to BPS guidlines
       • Confounding Variables- Heads on fake monkeys were also different which may have contributed
       • Tell us a lot about human attachment

2. Explanations Of Attachment

   • Learning Theory
     • We attach to the person who feeds us
       • Classical Conditioning- (Association)
         • Person who gives us food-----Associate them with pleasure-----Food provides pleasure-----Mum becomes a source of pleasure in her own right
       • Operant Conditioning- (Trial & Error)
         • Baby cries when hungry-----Learns that when it cries, mum feeds and makes it feel better-----Baby feels more comfortable, it reinforces behaviour
     • EVALUATION
       • Reductionist- Reduces complicated emotions
       • Contradictory Research- Harlow found that comfort is just as important
       • It's a Drive Reductionist Theory- Too simplistic
   • Evolutionary Theory- BOWLBY
     • We attach for survival
     • Babies are genetically programmed to encourage care taking behaviour. They engage in behaviours called Social Releasers
       • Crying (which can't be ignored)
       • Gazing into mother's eyes, Babbling and Gurgling (encouraging communication)
       • Smiling at caregiver
     • Mother inherits GENETIC BLUEPRINT- programming her to respond to baby's attachment behaviours
     • Babies display MONOTROPY- a strong innate tendency to become attached to one particular adult female
       • BOWLBY said that this needed to take place during the critical period or it would never occur
       • Due to this, baby forms INTERNAL WORKING MODEL (mental representation of the relationship). Allows child to: understand caregiver's behaviour and form a template of how all relationships should be
     • EVALUATION
       • KAGAN suggests that strong attachment due to infant's inmate temperament
       • STERN claimed babies have pre-disposition to look into caregiver's eyes
       • Other researchers found some infants are able to form attachments after critical period