15 Minutes to finish off formation of attachments from last lesson

• P.48 Add Schaffer and Emerson to your tables

• Complete the questions:• When does attachment occur in humans? • To whom babies do babies form their first

attachments?• Complete the cut and stick activity of Schaffer and

Emerson study • Complete the summary questions p. 50

5th October 2010

To consider why babies develop attachments?

Reasons why attachment is formed..

• Learning theory of attachment– If you were naughty as a child what would your

parents/ carers do? – If you were kind to your sister/brother what would

parents/carers do?

– This theory states that attachments are formed with the person that provides pleasure through food / warmth/ cuddles and removes discomfort such as loud noises / dirty nappies

Operant conditioning• Skinner worked with rats and cats – what type

of psychology did we say this was? • When the animals pressed the lever – they are

rewarded with positive reinforcement (food) they will repeat this behaviour again.

• Skinner box video clip• How does this link with infants? • When the animals received a negative

response a Negative reinforcement (Loud noise/ electric shock) they would stop that behaviour. How does this link with infants?

Classical Conditioning

• Pavlov dog clip

• Learning through association, e.g. Food produces saliva in dogs

• So in humans milk is an unconditioned stimulus (an aspect of the environment that produces an unlearned response). The reflex / natural (unconditioned response) is pleasure at the relief from hunger.

• The baby then associates the person who feeds them with the unconditioned response (pleasure) Secondary reinforcer.

• In Pavlovs study he conditioned dogs to salivate at the sound of a bell

• Little Albert clip

• This leads some theorists to use the phrase: cupboard love – initially the pleasure is because you are fed but over time you associate that pleasurable feeling with the person who feeds you. So hopefully Jamie your dog does love you back?!

Does evidence support the account of social learning theory of attachment

• Schaffer & Emerson study – found 39% of attachments were not with the person who carried out physical care. More likely to be formed with sensitive and play with the baby. This 39 % does not support the learning theory of attachment.

Harlow – Rhesus monkey study

• http://www.psychblog.co.uk/mind-changers-938.html (16 mins)

• 8 infant monkeys, they were given 2 surrogate mothers, one made from wire with milk, the other was covered in soft towelling fabric.

• When scared (loud noises played) baby monkeys clung to soft comforting mother and only visited wire mother for food.

• This does not support the learning account of attachment - why?

Social Learning explanations

• An extension of the learning theory of attachment • Bandurua performed a study and concluded

children learn their behaviour through observation and imitation of role models.

• Hay & Vespo (later on from Bandurua) concluded: – Role modelling: The parents show the child a range of

affectionate behaviour such as holding which the child imitates

– Direct instruction: “Give grandma a kiss” Care giver teaches child reciprocate affections

– Social Facilitation: Parents watch and help the child to carry out attachment behaviours

Evaluation• Takes into account the importance of parents

as role models for children.• Does not deny importance of innate

influences to attachment but draws attention instead to the importance of social influences on the development of attachment behaviours.

• Hay & Vespo’s theory does not explain why attachments are so emotionally intense for both people – if you only imitate/ copy behaviour why does mum care for baby?!

• The Learning (and social learning) theory ignore biological factors linked to attachment – This is where Bowlby’s theory comes into play

Bowlby’s theory• Bowlby argued that attachment was an evolved

(biological) mechanism that ensured a child’s survival.• Attachment behaviours have evolved through natural

selection, and to ensure a baby survives to maturity and reproduce this innate behaviour has been developed. Babies posses instincts such as crying, smiling which encourages care givers to look after them (Social Releasers – Bowlby ).

• Parents (especially Mothers according to Bowlby) have an instinct to protect their baby.

• Those who don’t posses such behaviours are less successful and their genes haven’t been passed on through evolution

Bowlby continued• Monotropy – The tendency of babies to form a

primary attachment to one care giver. Bowlby did not say that babies form ONLY one, but believe that one was more important than others. In a hierarchical fashion.

• He believed the mother was the most important and this attachment created an internal working model for future relationships to be modelled on. The mother created a secure base. Also known as the Continuity Hypothesis

• Sensitive period – Like Lorenz geese-lings Bowlby believed humans have a sensitive period in which they can make attachments.

• He believed that attachment between the care giver and child should not be disrupted within the first three years. Other wise there would be serious consequences – we will look at these next week

Bowlby continued

Bowlby Evaluation• The idea of the internal working model (the

continuity hypothesis) suggests the type of relationship a child has with its PCG (Primary Care Giver) influences later relationships.

• Later research supports this: Read p. 55 add Hazan & Shaver (1987) and Black & Schutte (2006) to your tables – 10 minutes

Do early attachments always predict adult experiences?

• Not all studies have supported Bowlby’s ideas• Zimmerman et al (2000) carried out a

longitudinal study (Study over time) • 44 infants 12-18 months, looked at attachment

types• Revisited when 16 years of age, found that life

events such as death of family member / divorce played a role in the later attachment – not just the first childhood attachments.

• Add to your tables

Main & Goldwyn (1984)

• Have argued that some people experience difficult childhoods with insecure attachments, but go on to develop healthy attachments to others in adulthood. Possibly through positive school experiences & other strong attachments formed in adulthood - what part of Bowlby’s theory does this offer argument most strongly against?

Does monotropy really exist?

Schaffer & Emerson study showed at 18 months: ½ the infants were attached to their mothers1/3 attached to fathersOthers were attached to another figure.

Attachments to fathers• Bowlby believed that fathers were of little

importance and focused solely on the mother.• Can we evaluate this idea in modern times?

• Research e.g. Ross et al. (1975) says that attachment depends on amount of time spend with father, and have actually seen a correlation with the number of nappies changed and the attachment.

• Why can we not identify a cause / effect relationship for this study?

Attachment to siblings

• Bowlby’s theory also ignored sibling attachments.

• Bee (1995) sibling attachment can take two main forms: – Buddies – often pairs of sisters who “buddy” up

and try to be like each other and enjoy each others company

– Care givers – the older sibling takes care of the younger one

Other factors to consider in attachments

• Most evidence does suggest early attachments are very important, however we must not ignore....

• Life events• Attachment to others• Role model behaviour (Social learning theories)• Personality differences • Learning theories

Social Learning explanations• An extension of the learning theory of

attachment • Bandura learn there behaviour through

observation and imitation of role models. • Hay & Vespo concluded:

– Role modelling: The parents show the child a range of affectionate behaviour such as holding which the child imitates

– Direct instruction: “Give grandma a kiss” Care giver teaches child reciprocate affections

– Social Facilitation: Parents watch and help the child to carry out attachment behaviours

Evaluation• Takes into account the importance of parents

as role models for children.• Does not deny importance of innate

influences to attachment but draw attention instead to the importance of social influences on the development of attachment behaviours.

• Hay & Vespo’s theory does not explain why attachments are so emotionally intense for both people – if you only imitate/ copy behaviour why does mum care for baby?!

Explanations of AttachmentsWhat aspects of Bowlby’s theory or

Learning theory do the following pictures illustrate?

Breastfeeding – Learning Theory

The child learns to become attached to its mother as it is she who provides the food which is reinforcing.

Imprinting – Bowlby’s Theory

Bowlby suggested that humans have a critical time period in which they must form an attachment, similar to imprinting in animals.

Internal Working Model - Bowlby

Our first attachment forms our internal working model – a template for all future attachments including romantic attachments in adults.

Reinforcement – Learning Theory

When a carer manages to comfort a child to stop them from crying, it is reinforcing for them. This is how they learn to form an attachment to the child.

Social Releasers – Bowlby

The child uses social releasers, such as smiling, to provoke an attachment .

Monotropy– Bowlby’s Theory

The child has one main attachment which is qualitatively different from all others – a warm intimate and continuous relationship with a mother, or permanent mother substitute.

Cupboard Love – Learning Theory

Learning Theory is sometimes referred to as the cupboard love theory because it says that the attachment only occurs between the child and the person who provides them with food.

Exam questions7 One situation in which disruption of attachment can occur is when a

mother of a young child is admitted into hospital. A researcher decided to study the behaviour of a two-year-old boy who experienced this disruption of attachment.

She decided to use naturalistic observation of the boy both before his mother was admitted into hospital and after she returned home. Each period of observation lasted for one hour.

7 (a) Suggest two suitable behavioural categories the researcher could use to record the boy’s behaviour. (2 marks)

7 (b) How might the researcher record the boy’s behaviour during the one-hour observation? (2 marks)

7 (c) Explain why the psychologist might want to carry out a pilot study before the main observation. (2 marks)

10 mins

Peer assessment

• 7A (2 marks) Naming suitable behavioural categories

• Behaviour must be operationalised. Suitable behavioural categories could include crying,clinging to mother, smiling, playing independently etc.

• One mark for each suitable behavioural category.

7b

• Candidates may refer to time sampling, CCTV and later analysis or ticking a box when the

• behaviour is shown. Unstructured observation could also be relevant.

• One mark for a brief explanation. This could include demonstrating some understanding of the

• use of behavioural categories, eg draw a table and tick boxes. A further mark for elaboration,

• eg drawing the table and/or indicating when the boxes would be ticked.

7c

• One reason for the psychologist carrying out a pilot study would be to check cameras were

• positioned appropriately. Another would be to check the suitability of the behavioural

• categories. Alternative relevant reasons should be credited.

• One mark for a brief reason eg to check equipment. A further mark for elaboration as above.

Longer essay style exam question

• Psychologists have put forward different explanations of attachment, such as learning theory and Bowlby’s theory.

• Outline and evaluate one or more xplanations of attachment. (12 marks)

• Plan your answer - in pairs – 5 mins • 15 mins SILENCE – You can use your notes and

the text book

It is likely that candidates will refer to learning theory and/or Bowlby’s evolutionary perspective as these are named in the specification. However, other explanations such as Freud’s theory or social learning theory are equally acceptable.

Explanations must be explicitly linked to attachment.

General descriptions of classical or operant conditioning are not creditworthy unless they are explicitly linked to attachment. Learning theory of attachment suggests attachment develops through classical and operant conditioning processes. According to classical conditioning food (UCS) produces pleasure (UCR). The mother becomes associated with the pleasure and becomes a conditioned stimulus. According to operant conditioning food satisfies the infant’s hunger and makes it feel comfortable again (drive reduction). Food is therefore a primary reinforcer. The mother is associated with food and becomes a secondary reinforcer. The infant becomes attached to the mother because she is a source of reward.

Bowby’s theory of attachment suggests attachment is important for survival. Infants are innately programmed to form an attachment. This is a biological process and takes place during a critical period. The role of social releasers is emphasised. The child’s relationship with a PCG provides an internal working model which influences later relationships.

Evaluation of learning theory could include reference to research studies such as Shaffer andEmerson who found that less than half of infants had a primary attachment to the person who usually fed them. Responsiveness appeared to be the key to attachment. Harlow’s research suggesting the importance of contact comfort rather than food could also be made relevant.

Evaluation of Bowlby’s explanation could relate to criticism of the critical period and monotropy. Candidates might refer to imprinting and the problems of generalising from birds to humans. However, positive references to the importance of Bowlby’s work would be equally relevant.

Genuine comparison/contrast between different explanations could also be credited as evaluation.

Homework

• Complete the worksheet on bowlby v learning theory