ATTACHMENT

1
ATTACHMENT

• A reciprocal emotional relationship
• Shaffer- A close emotional relationship between
  two persons, characterised by mutual affection,
  and a desire to maintain proximity
• Relationship/link between you and your family,
  friends and partners
• See quote by Mary Ainsworth (1970, page 34)

2
BENEFITS CONSEQUENCES

• Food and care
• Protection
• Education in survival
• Shapes long-term relationships

• Security may affect romantic relationships
• Friendship
• Relationship with own children

3
Evaluation

• OTHER EXPERINCES
• This could affect future relationships e.g.
  divorce of parents , moving home/school
  frequently. Adult experiences within the
  relationship.

• INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES
• Temperament rather than experience may affect our
  relationships, a difficult infant may result in
  poor attachment and then poor relationships

4
What are the theories of attachment?

• Learning theory
• A group of explanations (classical and operant)
  which explain behaviour in terms of learning or
  learnt behaviour (or nurture)
• Classical conditioning
• Operant conditioning

• Evolutionary theory
• Explains that behaviour is innate or natural and
  due to evolution
• Innate
• Sensitive period
• Social releasers
• Monotropy
• Internal working model
• Continuity hypothesis

5
Learning theory

• All behaviour (including attachment) is learnt
  rather than inborn
• Children are born as blank slates
• What children become is due to their life
  experiences
• Behaviourists put these theories forward
• Behaviour is learned by classical or operant
  conditioning

6
Classical conditioning.....

• Learning by association, i.e. making links with
  an experience
• Ivan Pavlov, research on the salivation of dogs
• Each time dogs fed salivated
• Dogs started salivating before feeding
• Dogs associated the sound of the door with food
• Dogs learned a new stimulus response (S-R)

7
Explaining classical conditioning...

• Food (UCS unconditioned stimulus) produces a
  sense of pleasure (UCR - unconditioned reflex)
• During conditioning door opens and food given
  at the same time

8
Explaining classical conditioning in babies.....

• Milk is an UCS (unconditioned stimulus) which
  naturally provides an UCR (unconditioned reflex)
  in the baby of pleasure at relief from hunger.
  The reflex response is automatic and it not
  learned.
• Person who feeds the baby becomes associated with
  food a CS (conditioned stimulus)
• The feeder produces pleasure that the baby
  associates with food. This pleasure is learned or
  a CR (conditioned response)

9
Operant conditioning.....

• Learning occurs when we are rewarded for doing
  something
• Skinners work with cats and rats Skinner boxes
  food as a reward
• What is the difference between positive
  reinforcement and negative reinforcement?

10
Operant conditioning.....

• Positive reinforcement - Each time you do
  something and it results in a pleasant
  consequence reward
• Reward Reinforced behaviour repeated
  behaviour reward
• Negative reinforcement when a behaviour
  switches off something unpleasant, will be
  repeated, e.g. Baby crying caregiver cuddles

11
Operant conditioning.....

• Behaviour that result in an unpleasant
  consequence punishment
• Punishment behaviour not repeated

12
Explaining operant conditioning in babies.....

• Dollard and Miller (1950)
• Hungary baby feels discomfort crying
  caregiver aims to reduce discomfort feeds
• Baby is fed reduces discomfort stops crying
• Food primary reinforcer because it reinforces
  the behaviour (crying) reduces discomfort
• The person who reduces discomfort secondary
  reinforcer
• Attachment (or bond) occurs when the baby seeks a
  person to provide food person reciprocates