Attachment

Attachment

1. Definition

   • A close emotional relationship between two persons, characterised by mutual affection and a desire to maintain proximity (closeness) - Schaffer (1993)

2. LearningTheory

   • Attachment is learnt through classical and operant conditioning
     • Associate the primary caregiver as food
       • Overtime the caregiver becomes a source of pleasure, irrespective of whether the food is present, so an attachment forms.
     • Reinforcement produces an attachment
       • The infant will attach to the main caregiver because when the child is hungry/upset the caregiver will respond to the infants needs - positive reinforcer.
       • Mother > Infant. When the mother meets the child's needs it will respond by smiling or by crying which positively reinforces the mother's caregiving behaviour
   • AO2
     • Provides a valuable insight into how an infant attaches to its main caregiver and the key role food plays in this interaction
     • The learning theory explanation is oversimplified.
     • Learning theory is heavily criticised by subsequent research.

3. Bowlby's Theory

   • Evolutionary principles
     • Humans are genetically motivated to develop an attachment to a maternal figure.
       • Altricial species - Need to form an attachment to increase our survival chances.
     • Social releasers - crying/smiling which elicit care giving behaviours from a mother figure.