Attachment Theories and Development: Biological, Cognitive, and Conditioning Perspectives

Biological explanation of attachment

Attachment is needed biologically, and behaviors like babbling and grasping are genetically transmitted.

Cupboard theory

Children form a bond with their mother because they receive nourishment from her.

Cognitive explanation of attachment

Children associate parents with food and pleasure, leading to attachment.

Classical conditioning

Children connect food (unconditional stimulus) with pressure (unconditioned response) and associate it with their caregiver (conditioned stimulus).

Operant conditioning

Actions that cause pleasure are likely to be repeated, creating attachment as caregivers provide pleasure that reduces hunger.

Harlow's experiment (1958)

Study involving cloth and wired monkeys to explore attachment.

Bowlby's internal working model

Children's early experiences shape their self-view and perception of the world, affecting attachment styles.

Shaffer's attachment development

Attachment develops and is completed by seven months, with babies showing separation anxiety from primary caregivers.

Mary Ainsworth

Conducted home visits in Uganda to observe mother-child interactions.

Co-sleeping

Phenomenon where children sleep with their parents, sometimes until eight years old.

Keller and Goldberg's study

Found that children who sleep with their parents tend to be more independent.

Fongey et al.'s research

Investigated the influence of a mother's attachment style on her children's attachment style, finding 75% similarity.

object permanence

kids know that the object exists even if they cant see touch or hear it

Type A - Insecure-Avoidant Attachment

Child shows little distress when the caregiver leaves and avoids or ignores the caregiver when they return; caregiver is often insensitive to the child's needs.

Type B - Secure Attachment

Child becomes upset when the caregiver leaves but is easily comforted when they return; caregiver is responsive and sensitive to the child's needs.

Type C - Insecure-Ambivalent (Resistant) Attachment

Child is very distressed when the caregiver leaves and seeks comfort but resists or rejects it when they return; caregiver is inconsistent in responsiveness.

Type D - Insecure-Disorganized Attachment

Child shows confused, disoriented, or inconsistent behavior when the caregiver leaves or returns; often associated with neglect, abuse, or frightening caregivers.

Stranger anxiety

When unfamiliar people try to make contact with the child.

Secure Lovers

Comfortable with intimacy and trust; relationships are characterized by happiness, friendship, and mutual support.

Avoidant Lovers

Uncomfortable with closeness and intimacy; tend to avoid dependence on others and keep emotional distance in relationships.

Ambivalent (Anxious) Lovers

Obsessive and emotionally intense; experience extreme highs and lows, fear abandonment, and feel jealousy and insecurity in relationships.

Simpson's Test

Tested the role of attachment style in adult relationships by observing how a dating couple discussed a sensitive topic.