Term
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Definition
| A long, enduring, emotionally meaningful tie to a particular individual. -Schaffer (1996) |
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Term
Why are attachments important?
(four things) |
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Definition
| They can influence social relationships in later life, intellectual development, behaviour and mental health. |
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Term
What are the ways attachment is shown? (Maccoby, 1980)
(four ways) |
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Definition
1-Proximity seeking (child wants to be close to adult and uses them as place of safety. 'Safe base'.)
2-Separation distress
3-Pleasure on reunion
4-Stranger fear |
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Term
Function of Attachment
What do behaviourists believe attachment is a result of? |
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Definition
| Operant and classical conditioning |
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Term
| With classical conditioning, what is the unconditioned stimulus? |
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Definition
| Food. The theory is sometimes referred to as the 'cupboard love' theory. |
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Term
| With classical conditioning, how does the child form an attachment with the food provider? |
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Definition
| The food is the primary reinforcer (providing pleasure) and the food provider is the secondary reinforcer. Eventually, the secondary reinforcer becomes the source of reward. |
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Term
| How does Harlow's study go against the behaviourist theory of attachment? |
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Definition
| The monkeys preferred the cloth covered surrogate mother to the wire mother. Only the wire mother had a source of food. |
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Term
What does the evolutionary theory suggest the reasons for attachment are?
(two things) |
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Definition
Attachment is innate and adaptive.
Attachment behaviours promote survival. |
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Term
| What are the four main assumptions for Bowlby's evolutionary theory of attachment? |
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Definition
| -Infants are born with social releasers -Infants form one special attachment (monotropy hypothesis) to the person who responds most sensitively to them. -There is a critical period during which attachment should take place -The infant develops an internal working model about relationships based on their experience of attachment. |
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Term
| What are social releasers? |
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Definition
| Innate behaviours a baby performs to make sure it is looked after. They include crying to get attention and smiling to 'reward' their carer. |
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Term
| In the evolutionary theory, when is the critical period an attachment must form in? |
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Definition
| 7 months to 2.5 years old. |
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