Theories of Attachments

Attachment is a deep and enduring emotional bond that connects one person to another across time and space(Ainsworth, 1973; Bowlby, 1969).

The Learning Theory of Attachment (a.k.a. Cupboard love theory)

• Dollard and Miller 
• Attachments are learned through a process of classical and operant conditioning.
• The infant will attach to the key caregiver who provides food.
• The infant attachs to the caregiver through a process of classical conditioning (association)
• Milk (US) = Happiness (UC) / Milk (US) + Caregiver (CS) = Happiness (UC) / Caregiver (CS) = Happiness (CR)
• The caregiver attaches to the infant through a process of negative reinforcement (operant conditioning)
• Infant crying (Unpleasant) - Feed baby = Baby stops crying (Removing unpleasant feeling).  Behaviour will be repeated.

Evaluation - Is food needed to create an attachment?

Harlow's research with rhesus monkey's proves comfort, not food is key to attachment!  Watch the video - Harlow's rhesus monkey's research

In the Glasgow babies study (Schaffer and Emerson): 39% of the babies formed their first attachment with someone other than the person who fed them (e.g. grandparent).  This would suggest that food is not the main requirement for forming attachments as the behaviourists suggest.

It is seen as a reductionist viewpoint because it does not consider any internal processes (e.g. Instinctual drive - Bowlby) or seek to explain the emotional nature of attachments.


Bowlby's Monotropic theory of Attachment  

• Every baby has an instinctual drive to seek attachment in order to survive.
• Attachment is adaptive, as it aids survival and reproduction.
• The baby acts in a social way, to encourage attachment (e.g. stopping crying when picked up, gurgling, etc).  Babies also look cute! 
• There is a critical period in which attachment need to be formed - 0 - 2 1/2 years old
• There is also a sensitive period - The fourth and six month of life is the most important for attachment development.
• The biological mother also has an instinctual drive to attach to the baby (to keep her gene pool going).
• The attachment with the biological mother is known as Monotropy - This attachment will be superior to all others.

Evaluation - 

Support:

Lorenz research on imprinting shows that geese are born with an instinctual drive to attach to the first living thing they see, in order to ensure survival.  There is a critical period of a few hours in which this attachment must be formed.  it is possible that humans also have such an instinctual drive.  Watch this video:

Lorenz

Bowlby (1969) claimed that there was a hierarchy of attachments, with a primary caregiver, usually the mother at the top.  The Efe, an African tribe, share the care of their children so that women in the village breast feed each another’s children.  However, the infants still go on to form their primary attachment with their biological mother.

Criticisms:

Kegan - The Temperament Hypothesis.   Some babies are born with a difficult temperament.  Such a difficult temperament would not encourage attachment to take place!

Schaffer and Emerson's research shows that by the age of 18 months, most infants have multiple attachments and that their key attachment is not with the mother, but the person who stimulates them the most!

Read more about theories of attachment at the following website
Link to attachments document - click on Explanations of attachment