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Explanations of Attachment

1. Learning Theory

   • Classical Conditioning
     • Pavlov's Dogs
       • 1930  Dogs innately salivated when they smelt food. Could dogs respond to other stimuli in the same manner? Before feeding dog, he'd ring bell.  Repeated pairings during conditioning. After conditioning, dogs salivate when hearing bell --> learnt to associate sound of bell with arrival of food.
       • 1930 Learns to respond to new stimulus with an innate reflex action
     • Food (unconditioned stimulus) produces Pleasure (unconditioned response)
       • Mother is a neutral Stimulus
         • Repeated pairings of mother and food --> association
           • Mother (conditioned stimulus) alone causes pleasure
   • Operant Conditioning
     • Dollard & Miller 1950
     • Drive Reduction
       • Hunger + Cold causes Discomfort
         • Mother supplies food + warmth
           • Mother associated with reward
           • Secondary Reinforcers
         • Primary Reinforcers
     • Social Release (crying)
       • Mother feeds + cuddles
         • Crying Stops
           • Negative Reinforcement for Mother
           • Mother more likely to comfort
       • Punishment for mother

2. Bowlby's Theory

   • Promotes Survival
     • Safety
       • mother + child keep close
         • Separation causes anxiety
     • Safe Base for Exploration
       • Cognitive Development
       • Develops independence needed in later life
     • Internal Working Model
       • Based on Freud 1st relationship acts as a prototype for all future attachments, forms a schema that gives a child a feel for what a relationship is
       • Used in future to develop other relationships
       • Continuity Hypothesis
   • Sensitive Period
     • Period where attachments are most likely to form
     • 4-6 months
   • Social Releasers
     • Adults are genetically primed to respond to these by offering care and affection
     • Encourages care-giving behaviour
   • Irreversible
     • Attachment cannot be broken
   • Monotropy
     • Only one primary attachment
       • Figure is maternal/mothering

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