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)
BENEFITS
•
•
•
•
Food and care
Protection
Education in survival
Shapes long-term
relationships
CONSEQUENCES
• Security may affect
romantic relationships
• Friendship
• Relationship with own
children
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
What are the theories of attachment?
Learning theory
Evolutionary theory
A group of explanations
Explains that behaviour is
(classical and operant)
innate or natural and
which explain behaviour
due to evolution
in terms of learning or • Innate
learnt behaviour (or
• Sensitive period
nurture)
• Social releasers
• Monotropy
• Classical conditioning
• Internal working model
• Operant conditioning
• Continuity hypothesis
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
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)
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
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)
Operant conditioning.....
• Learning occurs when we are rewarded for
doing something
• Skinner’s work with cats and rats – Skinner
boxes = food as a reward
• What is the difference between positive
reinforcement and negative reinforcement?
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
Operant conditioning.....
• Behaviour that result in an unpleasant
consequence = punishment
Punishment = behaviour not repeated
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