ATTACHMENT

Contents of Chapter:

Caregiver-infant interactions

The Development of attachment

Animal studies of attachment

Explanations of attachment: Learning theory

Explanations of attachment: Bowlby theory

Ainsworths Strange Situation: type of attachment

Cultural variations in attachment

Bowlby’s theory of maternal deprivation

Romanian orphan studies: effects of institutionalisation

The influence of early attachment

Caregiver-infant interactions

Key terms:
Attachment: an emotional bond between two people. It is
a two way process that endures over time. It leads to
certain behaviours such as clinging and serves the function
of protecting an infant

Caregiver: Person who is providing care for a child.

Interactional synchrony: when two or more people imitate

motions or behaviours.

Real or pseudo imitation

Meltzoff an Moore proposed that this imitation is intentional. By contrast Jean

Piaget believed that true imitation only developed toward the end of the first
year and anything before was seen as response training.
The development of attachment

Stage 1 Indiscriminate attachment

From birth until 2 months infants produce similar responses to all objects.

Stage 2 The beginnings of attachment

Around the age of four months infants become more social. They prefer humans
to innominate objects and can distinguish between familiar and unfamiliar
peopls.

Stage 3 discriminate attachment

By seven months old infants begin to develop stronger feelings for their primary
attachment figure and protest when they are separated from them (separation
anxiety)
They also begin to show stranger anxiety.
Schaffer and Emerson found that the primary attachment figure was formed not
always with the person who spent the most time with them but those who
responded efficiently to their ‘signals’

Stage 4 multiple attachments

Soon after the main attachment infants begin to form develops more
attachments with people who they have consistent relationships with.
Schaffer found that within the first month of the main attachment 29% of
infants had made multiple attachments to someone else.
Animal studies of attachment.

Imprinting: innate readiness to develop a strong bond with the

mother. Happens right after childbirth/hatching.
Key study: Lorenz 1935
Procedure: Lorenz took a clutch of gosling eggs and divided them into two
groups. One group was left with their mother and the other was placed in
an incubator. When the incubator group hatched the first thing they saw
was Lorenz and they started following around. The ducks were imprinted
on him even when joined with the other ducks and actual mother.
Findings: Process of imprinting is restricted to a very definite period of a
young animals life. This is known as a critical period. If animal is not
exposed to critical period then the animal will not imprint.

Evaluation
Peel: Advantage
One advantage of imprinting is that there is research to support its
occurance. Psychologist Guilton found that leghorn chicks imprinted on
yellow rubber gloves when they were fed near them for their first few
weeks of life. This supports Lorenz’s original findings of imprinting as
the leghorn chicks imprinted on the yellow gloves the same as the
ducks imprinted on Lorenz the first moving object they saw.

Criticism of imprinting
One disadvantage of imprinting is that people are uncertain over the
characteristics of imprinting. It was first initially thought that imprinting
was an irreversible process whereby it is embedded in the animals
nervous system. Research conducted by Hoffman states that it is a
more plastic and forgiving mechanism. This suggests that imprinting
may not be different to any other form of learning as learning can take
place with little conscious effort and is fairly reversable.
Key Study: Harlow

Procedure: Harlow created two different wire mothers one with a

cloth. For four monkeys the milk bottle was on the wire mother with
cloth and for the other four the milk bottle was on the normal wire
mother.

Findings: All eight monkeys spent most of their time with the wire
mother with a cloth. Even during distress or when playing the monkeys
kept close contact for reassurance. These findings show that animals
form close bonds with those who offer comfort not just nurture.

In later research he found that the monkeys with no mother

developed abnormality.

Evaluation: PEEL

One criticism of animal studies is that it is difficult to generalise the

findings to human behaviour. Human behaviour differs a lot from
animals as humans behaviour is governed by decision and thought.

A criticism of Harlow’s study on animals is that it clearly shows

psychological harm of the animals. Harlows research breaks ethics as
the animals are shown to have developed abnormalities from the
trauma they suffered in the experiment such as being unable to mate
and take care of offspring. This suggests that Harlow’s study may be
seen as immoral and therefore the finings may be dismissed.
Explanations of Attachment: Learning theory

Learning theory of attachment.

Learning theory proposes that all behaviour is learnt rather than
inborn. Argue that attachment is learned through classical or operant
conditioning.

Classical conditioning
Pavlov dog salivation
Learning through association. Neutral stimuli is paired with UCS so that
is becomes a CS which then produces a conditioned response.

Operant Conditioning
Skinners box
Learning through reinforcement

Social Learning theory:

Learning through observing others.
Explanations of attachment: Bowlby’s Theory

Bowlby’s monotropic attachment theory

Attachment forms as a means to protect offspring in order to survive

and so they are able to produce subsequent generations.

Attachment forms in critical period a special time period where

development occurs. Infants who do not form attachments within the
limit of it will find it hard or impossible to form attachments later on in
life. Usually occurs between 3 to 6 months.

Bowlby proposed that sensitivity is what determines who the infant

forms attachments with.

Social releasers such as smiling or a baby face helps elicit caregiving. ie

helps improve the chance of it happening.

Monotropy: the primary attachment figure of the infant, usually the

mother have special significance in emotional development.
Ainsworth’s Strange Situation: types of attachment

Key study: the strange situation:

Procedure: Child is left in room while being tested in 8 different

scenarios with mother and a stranger with each designed highlight
different parent-infant behaviour shown.
Ainsworth observed:
 Separation anxiety
 Reunion behaviour
 Stranger Anxiety

Findings: Ainsworth combined the data of 106 middle class families

tested for the strange situation.

Similarities: exploratory behaviour in infants declined after episode 2

whereas crying increased.

Differences: Ainsworth found three main patterns in differences

between the infants.
 Secure attachment
strong and contended attachment between infant and caregiver Are
comfortable with social interaction and intimacy
 Insecure avoidant
Refers to infants who tend to avoid social interaction and intimacy
 Insecure resistant
Refers to infants who both seek and reject intimacy and social
interaction