**L5 - Learning Theory of Attachment Flashcards
what does LEARNING THEORY say about ALL BEHAVIOUR?
According to LEARNING THEORY, ALL BEHAVIOUR is LEARNED rather than being INNATE or INHERITED FROM PARENTS
how do people learn behaviour?
People LEARN BEHAVIOUR through TWO TYPES OF CONDITIONING:
- CLASSICAL CONDITIONING
- OPERANT CONDITIONING
what is CLASSICAL CONDITIONING?
CLASSICAL CONDITIONING is when we LEARN TRHOUGH ASSOCATION, when TWO REPEATEDLY PAIRED TOGETHER we develop an ASSOCIATION BETWEEN THE TWO OBJECTS and this triggers a response every time these triggers are present
how does CLASSICAL CONDITIONING WORK in INFANTS?
An infant is BORN with CERTAIN REFLEX RESPONSES , the STIMULUS of food is an UNCONDITIONED STIMULUS and it PRODUCES the REFLEX OF PLEASURE, which is an UNCONDITIONED RESPONSE
The PERSON PROVIDING THE FOOD is a NEUTRAL STIMULUS but OVER TIME they become ASSOCIATED with the PLEASURE GAINED FROM THE FOOD.
The person becomes A CONDITIONED STIMULUS that PRODUCES PLEASURE as a CONDITIONED RESPONSE
what does learning theory say about attachment?
According to CLASSICAL CONDITIONING, this is how the ATTACHMENT BOND DEVELOPS and is the reason CHILDREN FEEL PLEASURE in their CAREGIVER’S PRESENCE
what is OPERANT CONDITIONING?
OPERANT CONDITIONING is when we LEARN THROUGH REINFORCEMENT, both POSITIVE and NEGATIVE in the form of REWARDS and PUNISHMENTS which will in turn make us MORE OR LESS LIKELY to perform a PARTICULAR BEHAVIOUR
how does OPERANT CONDITIONING WORK in infants?
OPERANT CONDITIONING STRENGTHENS ATTACHMENT.
The baby RECEIVES POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT (when behaviour produces a PLEASANT CONSEQUENCES) for CRYING when they are HUNGRY as the CAREGIVER FEEDS THEM.
The caregiver receives NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENT (when behaviour REMOVES SOMETHING UNPLEASANT) as FEEDING THEIR BABY when they CRY makes the CRYING STOP.
+ PLAUSIBLE AND SCIENTIFIC (EVALUATING LEARNING THEORY)
+ Learning theory is PLAUSIBLE and SCIENTIFIC as it is FOUNDED in ESTABLISHED THEORY.
Its likely that ASSOCIATION BETWEEN the PROVISION OF NEEDS and the PERSON PROVIDING THOSE NEEDS can lead to STRONG ATTACHMENTS
- HARLOW, RHESUS (EVALUATING LEARNING THEORY)
- HARLOW SEPARATED INFANT RHESUS MONKEYS from their MOTHERS and put them in CAGES.
MILK was PROVIDED either by a WIRE MESH ‘SURROGATE MOTHER’ or one MADE OF COMFORTABLE SOFT CLOTH.
The monkeys CLUNG TO THE SOFT CLOTH ‘mother’, especially when SCARED BY AN AVERSIVE STIMULUS, EVEN IF IT DID NOT PROVIDE MILK. This suggests that COMFORT IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN FOOD in DETERMINING whom a baby will attach to
- SCHAFFER AND EMERSON (EVALUATING LEARNING THEORY)
- SCHAFFER AND EMERSON also found that FOOD IS NOT NECESSARY FOR ATTACHMENT TO FORM.
They discovered that babies are OFTEN ATTACHED TO PEOPLE WHO PLAY WITH THEM, rather than PEOPLE WHO FEED THEM.
In 39% of cases even though the MOTHER WAS THE ONE WHO FED THE BABY, the baby was MORE ATTACHED TO SOMEONE ELSE
- HOW BUT NOT WHY (EVALUATING LEARNING THEORY)
- this theory EXPLAINS HOW ATTACHMENTS FORM BUT NOT WHY THEY FORM.
According to BOWLBY’s THEORY OF ATTACHMENT INFANTS FORM AN ATTACHMENT TO THEIR CAREGIVER to ENSURE THEY ARE PROTECTED
- ENVIRONMENTALLY REDUCTIONIST (EVALUATING LEARNING THEORY)
- LEARNING THEORY IS ENVIRONMENTALLY REDUCTIONIST as it explains a COMPLEX HUMAN BEHAVIOUR in an OVERLY SIMPLISTIC WAY.
The infant and caregiver RELATIONSHIP is a VERY VARIED, SOPHISTICATED and COMPLICATED SYSTEM OF BEHAVIOURS, and there are many DIFFERENT TYPES OF INFANT AND CAREGIVER ATTACHMENT.
Therefore it is VERY UNLIKELY that attachment is MERELY THE RESULT OF THE CAREGIVER PROVIDING THE INFANT WITH FOOD.
LEARNING THEORY is ENVIRONMENTALLY DETERMINISTIC because it states that EARLY LEARNING DETERMINES LATER ATTACHMENT BEHAVIOURS
