Explanations of attachment

Explanations of attachment

1. Learning Theory

   • Classical conditioning: food as an UCS/caregiver as neutral stimulus and later CS.
   • Operant Conditioning: can explain why babies cry for comfort-crying gets positively reinforced by getting comfort and attention every time they do-parent also gets negatively reinforced as the baby stops-this interaction strengthens an attachment.
   • Negative Evaluation: animal studies provide evidence against food being involved in attachment( harlows monkeys chose comfort over food and geese made attachments regardless of who fed them) --Human research also shows food isn't a factor (schaffer and emerson found many babies had primary attachment with someone who didn't feed them)--learning theory ignores other factors linked to attachment( ignores reciprocity and interactional synchrony and the idea that attachments are made to who is the most sensitive to needs.
   • Positive Evaluation: some elements of conditioning could still be involved -many aspavts of human beh. are affected by conditioning so it seems plausible-just may not be food-could be associations with comfort and interaction.

2. Bowlby's monotropic theory: believed it was and innate evolutionary system that helped survival- law of continuity (more constant and predictable care-the better the attachment)- law of accumulated separation( effects of every separation add up)-- social releass (innate cute beh. that are there to activate the adults attachment)-- Critical/sensitive period of 2 years -- Internal working model ( a template for what relationships are like )

   • Negative Evaluation : evidence for monotropy is mixed ( schaffer and emerson found many made multiple attachments at the same time) -- Monotropy is socially sensitive because of implications to mothers lifestyle (law of accumulated separation puts pressure on and feminist argue women are blamed for anything that goes wrong -may prevent them going back to work)
   • Positive evaluation : clear evidence for social releases( in study babies ended up lying motionless after being distressed when parent told to ignore social releases-supports Bowlby)--support for the idea of IWM( Baileys 99 mothers found those with poor attachment to parents also had poor attachments to their kids)