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Explanations of attachment (Evaluation of learning theory: (Strength:…
Explanations of attachment
Learning Theory
Classical condtioning
Food(UCR) ---> Pleasure(UCR)
Mother(NS) + Food(UCS) ---> Pleasure(UCR)
Mother(CS) ---> Pleasure(CR)
Operant Conditioning
Baby performs an
action:
cries
Baby receives
award:
food relieves hunger
The reward
reinforces
the action, so the baby
repeats
it :
Evaluation of learning theory:
Strength:
Provide an explanation of how attachments are formed. There does seem to be some suggestion that babies do indeed learn to become more attached to their mother thanks to cupboard love, but found in Harlow's study that the monkeys were more attached to cloth covered monkey than the one that dispensed food showing that food isn't always necessary in forming attachments
Weakness:
Drive theory is no longer used today as it cannot really apply to todays society compared to 1940's. This is because there are many things people do that have nothing to do with decreasing comfort, but instead seek to increase it such as bungee jumping.
Weakness:
There is counter evidence from human research. In Schaffer and Emerson's study many babies developed.a primary attachment to their biological mother even though other carers aid the feeding. Issue for learning theory as they show feeding isn't the key element and so there's no US or primary drive involved.
Weakness
The learning suggests that food is the key element in forming attachments. Strong evidence to show that feeding has nothing to do with attachment as Harlow found and even though the study was with animals, it was supported by Schaffer + Emerson.
Bowlby's Monotropic theory
Social releasers
A social behaviour or characteristic that elicits caregiving and leads to attachment such as smiling, cooing and gripping
Critical period
Biology determined period of time during which certain characteristics develop. Outside of this time window, would be more difficult to form attachments. Sensitive period - more susceptible to forming attachments
Monotropy
Idea that the one relationship the infant has with their primary attachment figure is of special significance in emotional development
Internal working model
Mental representations we all carry with us of our attachments to our primary caregiver. Important in affecting our future relationships as they carry our perception of what relationship are like
Evaluation Bowlby's monotropic theory
Strength:
There is support for social releases as there's clear evidence to show that cute behaviours are intended to initiate social behaviour/Interaction. Brazleton et al (1975) observed. Extended study from an observation to experiment. Primary attachment figures told to ignore infants signals. Initially show distress but when attachment figures told to ignore, some responded by curling up and laying motionless. The fact that the children responded so strongly supports Bowlby's ideas about the significance of infant social behaviour in eliciting caregiving
Weakness:
There is research to show that infants form multiple attachments as suggested by Emerson and Schaffer. They found that most infants were attached to one person first. Also found that significant minority were able to form multiple attachments at the same time.
Weakness:
Socially Sensitive idea
- Controversial as it has major implications for the lifestyle mothers make when their children are young. Law of accumulated separation states that having substantial time apart from a primary attachment figure risks a poor quality attachment that will disadvantage the child later in life. Feminist Erica Burman (1994) pointed out that this places a terrible burden of responsibility on mothers, setting them up to take the blame for anything that goes wrong in the rest of the child's life. Also pushes particular lifestyle choices on the mother such as not returning to work when the baby is born.
Weakness:
Temperament just as important as attachment
- Bowlby's approach emphasises role of attachment in child's developing social behaviour. However, temperament may be just as important. For example, Kagan (1982) found that some babies are more anxious than others as a result of their genetic makeup. These temperamental differences explain later social behaviour rather than attachment experiences.This therefore the validity of the theory as it over-emphasises the importance of a child's early experiences and the quality of their attachment