An infant will initially form an attachment to whoever feeds it. Learning resource written by Sally Wassell, which explores the evolving meaning and application of attachment. Some of the earliest behavioral theoriessuggested that attachment was simply a learned behavior. Within attachment theory, infant behaviour associated with attachment is primarily the seeking of proximity to an attachment figure in stressful situations. Specifically, it makes the claim that the ability for an individual to form an emotional and physical \"attachment\" to another person gives a sense of stability and security necessary to take risks, branch out, and grow and develop as a personality. This may contribute to the explanation of empirical observations in attachment research that are insufficiently accounted for by traditional attachment theory. The infant forms an ? "Learning would be exceedingly laborious, not to mention hazardous if people had to rely solely on the effects of their own actions to inform them what to do," he famously wrote in his 1977 book Social Learning Theory. Attachment-informed therapy for adults: Towards a unifying perspective on practice. 5. A study on imprinting in non-human animals were undertaken by Lorenz (1952) supports Bowlby’s view that imprinting is innate. Conducted research with monkeys that contradicted learning theory 6. A clear and testable model of how individual differences develop is missing. NIH Bowlby argues that the relationship with the mother is somehow different altogether from other relationships.Essentially, Bowlby (1988) sugge… Learning theory ignores other factors associated with forming attachments: - Research into early infant-caregiver interaction suggests that the quality of attachment is associated with factors like developing reciprocity and good levels of interactional synchrony (Isabella et al, 1989) Attachment can be explained through this theory using negative reinforcement when again considering the link between caregiver and food. Evaluation of Learning Theory Strengths Weaknesses 2. Psychol Psychother. 2006 Sep;8(3):185-97. doi: 10.1080/14616730600856016. In this review, we explain how the development of individual differences in attachment security at least partly follows the principles of classical and operant conditioning. Dev Psychol. Attachment theory 4 Early experiences with caregivers gradually give rise to a system of thoughts, memories, beliefs, expectations, emotions and behaviours about the self and others. The development of different attachment behaviors has been traditionally explained as a process during which experiences with (lack of) responsive and supportive care are internalized into working models of attachment. Attach Hum Dev. Contrasting long-existing views, we propose a learning theory of attachment.  |  A primary care giver can be his mother or anyone close to him. Attachment Theory (Bowlby) Attachment is described as a long lasting psychological connection with a meaningful person that causes pleasure while interacting and soothes in times of stress. Children's Attention to Mother and Adolescent Stress Moderate the Attachment-Depressive Symptoms Link. In this review, we explain how the development of individual differences in attachment security at least partly follows the principles of classical and operant conditioning. evaluate the learning theory of attachment (8 marks) A range of studies actually counteract this theory in that we don’t necessarily attach to those that feed us. This theory, which has its origins in the psychodynamic or psychosocial perspective, has also been subjected to extensive development: most recently in … Attachment Theory in Babies, Infants, and Early Childhood Development According to Bowlby and Ainsworth, attachments with the primary caregiver develop during the first 18 months or so of the child’s life, starting with instinctual behaviors like crying and clinging (Kennedy & Kennedy, 2004). Epub 2020 Apr 8. Attachment theory: Harlow’s experiment with rhesus monkeys Harlow experimented with rhesus monkeys, an Asian species that’s assimilates to living with humans easily. 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