Leanring Theory :attachment

Question 1

What is the learning theory

Answer 1

Believe that attachments are formed through operant and classical conditioning

Question 2

What is cupboard love

Answer 2

The belief that infants only bond with caregivers because they provide food

Question 3

Describe the infant and mothers bond by classical conditioning

Answer 3

The infant associates the mother with food

Question 4

Describe the mother and infants bond in relation to operant conditioning in terms of positive reinforcement

Answer 4

Positive reinforcement for infant: recieve food for bonding with their mother
Postive reinforcement for mother: rewarding experience of happiness for feeding baby

Question 5

Describe the mother and infants bond in relation to operant conditioning in terms of negative reinforcement

Answer 5

Negative reinforcement infant: taking away the feeling of hunger. (Is unpleasant
Negative reinforcement mother: taking away the negative experience of a child crying

Question 6

What is a strength of learning theory

Answer 6

Grounded in behaviourism: skinner well controlled experiments

Question 7

What is challenging evidence

Answer 7

Schaffer and Emerson challenges learning theory
Shows that the attachment giver is the one who is the most responsive and not the one who give them food and spends the most time with them.
Harlows research found that CONTACT COMFORT proivded a strong attachment over food due to providing a secure base to secure and come for in terms of fear, undermine the idea of cupboard love

Question 8

What is a limitation of the learning theory

Answer 8

Ignores biological factors ( bowlby). Natural factors like social reflex and social releases ( baby doing things to make them look cute cooing, babbling makes you want to make a bond with them)

Oxytoxin: skin to skin that triggers the release of oxytoxin making the infant feel more relaxed and secure
Environmental reductionist: it simplifies. Complex attachment to stimulus and response fails to take into account emotional context of attachment: interactional synchrony

Question 10

What is bowlby monotopic theory

Answer 10

That attachment is biological and survival driven and innate

Question 11

Why does bowlby see attachment described as adaptive

Answer 11

Bowlbys sees attachment as an evolutionary behaviour that hepls with survival e.g rooting features like breastfeeding

Question 12

When is the critical period in bowlby opinion

Answer 12

2.5 years failure to form an attachment forms problems with social interactions in the future

Question 13

Why is bowlbys theory described as monotropic

Answer 13

It emphasises the role of ONE primary caregiver the mother indicating it’s more important than others

Question 14

What is the internal working model

Answer 14

It’s influences the child’s future relationships and is based on the child’s attachment when they were an infant and on parenting styles

Question 15

What is supporting evidence of bowlby

Answer 15

Lorenz
Supports adaptive and critical period
Greylag geese formed attachment via imprinting
Harlow - critical period
Supports motherles mothers make inadequate mothers
If raised with a social attachment and without care

Question 16

Evidence supporting boldly has an and shaver love quiz outline

Answer 16

Secure attachment : long lasting relationships believe love endure
Insecure avoidant: avoids closeness believes love never last
Insecure resistant: falls inlove to easily

Question 17

Limitations

Answer 17

Schaffer & Emerson : multiple attachments
Social,y sensitive: it pressures mothers to make bonds with their child during critical period
Blames mothers for future issues in child’s life
Underestimates fathers role

Question 18

What is the strange situation

Answer 18

Is a controlled obseravtion designed to asses the quality of the child’s attachment to their caregivers

Question 19

Outline the procedure of the strange situation

Answer 19

Research watched infant Behind the screen so they conduct without interfering
A series of 8 episodes
Proximity seeking
Exploration & secure base
Stranger anxiety
Separation anxiety
Response to reunion outline what happens in each episode
In photos

Question 20

Outline what ainsworth believed about the secure attachment

Answer 20

Exploration of secure base: explores the unfamiliar environment checks on the mother
Stranger anxiety : moderate
Separation anxiety: moderate
Response to reunion: happy the mother is returned. Easily comforted

Question 21

Outline what ainsworth believed about the secure attachment

Answer 21

Exploration of secure base: explores but doesn’t come back to mother and doesn’t use her as a safe base
Stranger anxiety: low anxiety
Separation anxiety: low
Response & reunion: child shows no joy when mother returns and ignores her

Question 22

Outline what ainsworth believed about the secure attachment

Answer 22

Exploration / secure base: shows little willingness to explore. Is clingy
Stranger anxiety: very high
Separation anxiety: very high
Response to reunion: not happy to see mother. Doesn’t want to be comforted

Question 23

Findings of percentages

Answer 23

70% were secure attachments
15% insecure avoidants
15% insecure resistant

Question 24

What are the strengths of strange situation

Answer 24

Standardised and controlled
Enables replication and cultural comparisons, which enhances reliability of attachment assessments
High reliability as different observers classify attachment in the same way

Question 25

Lacks ecological validity

Answer 25

Set in an controlled unfamiliar setting May not reflect the child’s behaviour at home. Cannot generalise to real life application Cultural issues WEST is BEST: designed in the us. 100 middle class Americans may not apply universally Collectivist culture (Japan) have different ppl raising the child can have different parenting types.