Theories of Attachment

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Theories of Attachment

• Explanations of the underlying mechanisms of
  attachment formation (how why)
• Two major approaches
• Learning theory (Dollard Miller)
• Evolutionary theory (Bowlby)

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Learning Theory

• Dollard Miller (1949)
• Attachment is a set of learned behaviours (i.e.
  results from experience of the environment, not
  innate processes)
• Classical conditioning (association)
• Operant conditioning (consequences)

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Learning Theory

• Classical conditioning
• Infant learns to associate feeding/comfort with
  primary carer/mother
• Mother acquires comforting properties by
  association
• Operant conditioning
• Infant learns that crying, smiling brings
  positive response from adults (reinforcement)
• Adult learns that responding to cries etc. brings
  relief from noise (negative reinforcement)

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Learning Theory

• Main predictions
• The child will form attachments on the basis of
  primary care provision (feeding etc.)
• Attachment behaviour should increase steadily
  from birth
• The strongest attachments will be with those who
  provide the most primary care

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Evolutionary Theory

• Bowlby (1953)
• Attachment is biologically pre-programmed into
  children at birth
• Encoded in the human genes
• Evolves and persists because of its adaptiveness
  (i.e. it is evolutionarily useful)

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Evolutionary Theory

• Infants emit social releasers, to which adults
  are biologically attuned
• Physical appearance
• Crying, smiling etc.
• These stimulate caregiving from adults

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Evolutionary Theory

• Infants are programmed to attach to whomever
  responds to their releasing stimuli
• They select one special attachment figure
  (monotropy), who is used as a safe base for
  exploring the world
• The primary attachment is the template for future
  social relationships

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Evolutionary Theory

• Main hypotheses
• Attachments will form with those who respond to
  childs signals
• Attachment will correlate with other aspects of
  (biological) development
• There will be a special attachment figure that is
  more important than others
• Disruption of attachments will have developmental
  consequences

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