Attachment

Attachment

1. Explanations

   • learning theory
     • Nurture theory
     • attachment develops via classical and operant conditioning
       • Classical conditioning
         • conditioning food (UCS) produces pleasure (UCR)
           • Child associates food & mother together
             • Mother becomes CS & happiness becomes CR
               • Attachment Formed
       • Operant conditioning
         • Behaviour that is reinforced = repeated
           • not reinforced = not repeated
         • changing behaviour through use of reinforcement
           • Neutral operants
             • response from environment that does not change behaviour
           • Reinforcers
             • Response that increase the behaviour
           • Punishers
             • Responses that decrease the behaviour
         • Infant gains pleasure as they are fed
           • Social releasers from child reinforces attachment for caregiver
             • Reinforcement is reciprocal/ strengthens emotional bond
   • Bowlby's theory
     • Child comes to the world pre-programmed to form attachments
       • Nature theory
     • Child has innate need for monotropy
       • one person that is more important than any other caregiver
         • This attchmnt is qualitatively different
       • Failure to do this, leads to serious -ve consequences
         • Affectionless psychopathy
         • Formulation of maternal deprivation hypo
     • Child should receive care from attchmnt figure for first 2 years
       • Mothering almost useless if 2< years of age
       • Broken or disrupted
         • irreversible long-term consequences, risk continues till 5
     • Long term maternal deprivation
       • consequences
         • Delinquency
         • Reduced intelligence
         • increased agression
         • depression
         • affectionless psychopathy
           • Inability to show affection or concern for others, acts on impulse, ie no guilt for antisocial behaviour
     • PDD
       • short term separation
       • Three progressive stages
         • Protest, child cries, screams etc. when parents leave
           • Despair, protest stops, calmer yet upset
             • Detachment, separation allowed to continue, rejects caregiver & strong anger
     • Internal Working model
       • generates expectations on what future relationships are like, from primary caregiver
       • Template for future relationships
     • 44 Thieves study,

2. an emotional bond between two people, seeking closeness, feeling secure in their presence