ATTACHMENT

  • A two way emotional bond

  • Individuals see each other as an essential for their own emotional security

  • Takes a few moths to develop

Altricial- born at an early stage of development (eg. Human babies). Seek protection and nurturing from adults.

Precocial animals- born at an advanced staggered of development (eg. Animals).

  • The critical period takes 12-17hrs after birth to form

LORENZ

AIM: Ethologist studying animals under natural conditions

PROCEDURE:

  • Divided googling eggs into 2 groups, one left with the mother, the other put in an incubator with Lorenz.

  • To test the imprinting effect, Lorenz mixed the groups = both Lorenz and the mother were present.

Long lasting effect→ irreversible and had effects had on later mating preferences (sexual imprinting). Chose to mate with the same kind upon which they were imprinted on.

FINDINGS:

  • Lorenz’s group showed no recognition to their mother.

  • If the offspring is not exposed to a moving object during the critical period, they wont imprint.

HARLOW

AIM: ‘the origins of love’ means mother love isn’t based on feeding, but comfort from a caregiver.

PROCEDURE:

  • Created 2 wire monkey mothers. One wrapped in soft cloth and the other just wire but provided milk.

  • 8 baby rhesus monkeys were studied for 165 days.

  • Measured amount of time each monkey spent with the different ‘mothers’.

FINDINGS:

  • All 8 spent most their time with the cloth mother.

  • Moneys became underweight and would only go to the wire mother for food if they really needed to.

  • When frightened, they clung on the coth mother.

Long lasting effect→ became socially abnormal and sexually abnormal (didn’t cradle their babies).

  • Attachment was only made with a caregiver who gave contact comfort.

LEARNING THEORY:

Classical conditioning (Pavlov)

  • Certain things become associated with food beacuse they are present at the time of being fed - Natural stimulus

  • If any natural stimulus is consistently associated with an unconditioned response it will take on its properties and produce a same response.

  • The natural stimulus becomes a conditioned response and produces a conditioned response

  • A well formed stimulus = ‘mother love’

Forming an attachment (association)

Operant conditioning (Skinner)

  • When an infant is fed, drive is reduced = a pleasured feeling

    • The drive reduction theory motivates behavior

  • Food becomes a primary reinforcer because it supplies a reward

  • Attachment occurs because an infant seeks a person who can supply this reward

Maintains an attachment (consequence)

BOWLBY’S MONOTROPIC THEORY:

  • Attachment is biologically programmed at birth→ critical period.

  • Evolves/ persists beacuse of its adaptiveness.

Monotropy- one special emotional bond (primary)

Internal working model- mental representation of a monotropy relationship

→ Short Term: insight into caregivers behavior

→ Long Term: template for future relationships (expectations)

Social releases- innate mechanisms that explain how attachment to infants form (eg. Smiling/ having a ‘baby face’)

Continuity hypothesis- emotionally secure infants go on to be emotionally secure and socially confident adults]

  • Vicarious innate social releases have evolved to elicit caregiving→ attachment is a 2 way process

AINSWORTH’S STRANGE SITUATION:

AIM: Measure security of attachment between a baby and a caregiver

PROCEDURE:

  • Took place in a controlled observation rom with a one way mirror.

  • There were 8 stages, each lasting 3 minutes.

  1. Child and caregiver enter an unfamiliar room

  2. A stranger comes in → tests stranger anxiety

  3. Caregiver leaves the stranger and baby together → tests separation

  4. Caregiver returns and the stranger leaves → tests reunion behavior

  5. Caregiver leaves baby on its own → tests separation anxiety

  6. Stranger returns → tests stranger anxiety

  7. Caregiver returns → tests reunion behavior

Proximity seeking- a baby with good quality attachment will stay close to the caregiver

Exploration- good attachment enables the baby to feel confident to explore, using the caregiver as a secure base

Stranger anxiety- close attachment causes anxiety when a stranger approaches

Separation anxiety- protests when separating from caregiver

Reunion behavior- babies securely attached greet caregivers returns with pleasure

FINDINGS:

  • Secure attachment (66%): not likely to cry if caregiver leaves but is reluctant to eavesdrop them. Has good social interaction

  • Insecure avoidant (22%): avoid social interaction. Has little response to separation. Can explore independently

  • Insecure resistant (12%): separation causes distress. Seek and reject social interaction