DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY - Explanations of atttachment

DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY - Explanations of atttachment

1. Learning theory

   • Classical
     • UCS produces UCR (before conditioning
     • CS produces CR (after conditioning)
     • Food is UCS, produces pleasure (UCR). Feeder (NS) becomes associated with food (UCS) and pleasure (CR) is associated with feeder.
       • Association between individual and sense of pleasure is attachment bond
   • Operant
     • Reinforcement + Punishment
       • Dollard & Miller (1950)
         • Hungry infant has drive to reduce that discomfort. Infant is fed, producing pleasure (reward). Food becomes primary reinforce. Supplier of food becomes secondary reinforce.
           • Attachment occurs because child seeks person who can supply the reward.
   • Lacks validity - studies on animals - oversimplified.
     • However, behaviourists believe we are no different to animals.
   • Evaluation
     • Strengths
       • Provides an adequate explanation of how attachments form. We do learn through association and reinforcement but food may not be the main reinforcer.
     • Weaknessess
       • Contact comfort is more important than food.
         • Harlow's monkeys (1959).
           • 2 wire mothers, 1 with feeding bottle and 1 covered in cloth.
           • Monkeys spent most time with cloth covered mother and would cling to it when frightened.
       • Human studies also challenge the importance of food for attachment
         • Schaffer and Emerson (1964).
           • 60 babies from working-class homes in Glasgow.
           • Infants were most attached to the person who was most responsive + interactive, not the one who fed them.

2. Bowlby's theory (1969)

   • Children have innate drive to become attached to caregiver. Adaptive because they increase likelihood of survival.
   • Sensitive period
     • 2nd quarter of the first year, as months pass it becomes increasingly difficult to form attachments.
   • Caregiving is adaptive
     • Social releasers e.g. smiling and crying elicit caregiving
   • A secure base
     • Attachment acts as a secure base from while child explores and safe haven to return to.
   • Monotropy and hierarchy
     • Primary attachment is monotropy.
     • Infants become most attached to person who person who responds most sensitively to infant's social releasers
     • The primary attachment figure provides the main foundation for emotional development, self esteem and later relationships.
   • Internal working model
     • Cluster of concepts about relationships and what to expect from others.
   • The continuity hypothesis
     • There is a link between early attachment behaviour and later emotional behaviour
   • Evaluation
     • Strengths
       • Research by Lorenz supports imprinting (goslings followed 1st moving object)
       • Sensitive period
         • Hodges and Tizard found that children who hadn't formed attachments later had difficulties with peers.
       • Universality
         • If attachment did evolve, then it would be found in all cultures.
         • Tronick et al. (1992) studied an African tribe which lived in extended family groups and found that the infants still showed 1 primary attachment at 6 months.
       • Monotropy and hierarchy
         • Supported by Tronick et al.
         • Schaffer and Emerson also found this. They also found little relationship between time spent and attachment - suggests quality is most important.
         • Fathers are important: When monkeys only stayed with their mothers, they were socially abnormal (Harlow).
       • Caregiver sensitivity
         • Schaffer & Emerson observed that strongly attached infants had mothers who responded quickly.
         • Harlow: wire mother left monkeys maladjusted.
         • Carlson (1998) found that insensitive caregiving was associated with disorganised attachment.
       • The continuity hypothesis
         • The Minnesota longitudinal study fond continuity between early attachment and later emotional / social behaviour.
     • Limitations
       • Multiple attachments
         • Grossmann & Grossmann (1991) did research on infant-father attachment and suggest that fathers have a key role in social development.
       • Alternative explanation - the temperament hypothesis
         • That certain personality / temperamental characteristics of the infant shape a mother's responsiveness.
         • Born with it
           • Thomas & Chess found: easy, difficult and easy to warm up.
           • Belsky & Rovinne support this hypothesis
             • Infants who were calmer and less anxious were more likely to be securely attached.
             • Nachmias et al. found no such association.

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