Attachment - Explanations

Question 1

Cupboard love theory - classical conditioning

Answer 1

Food = US
Happy baby = UR/CR
Mother = NS/CS

Question 2

Dollard and Miller (1950)

Answer 2

Found that babies are fed 2,000 times mainly by their primary caregiver

Question 3

Lorenz

Answer 3

Found greylag goslings imprinted before being fed

Question 4

Harlow

Answer 4

Found contact comfort was more important than food

Question 5

Schaffer and Emerson (1964)

Answer 5

In 39% of cases the mother is not the primary attachment figure

Question 6

Operant conditioning

Answer 6

Baby cries» caregiver responds» baby stops crying

Positive reinforcement for baby -adds comfort
Negative reinforcement for caregiver -removes unpleasant stimulus (baby crying)

Question 7

Drive production theory - operant conditioning - Dollard and Miller

Answer 7

Primary Drive is Hunger and it is an innate and biological motivator
When food is given by a caregiver the hunger Drive is generalized to them
Attachment is a secondary Drive learned by association - Sears et al (1957)

Primary Drive =hunger
Primary reinforcer = food / milk
Secondary drive = obtaining food
Secondary reinforcer = caregiver
Drive reduction = proximity with caregiver

Question 8

Social learning theory

Answer 8

SLT suggest that parents teach children to love by demonstrating behavior attachment e.g kissing

Question 9

Strengths of learning theories

Answer 9

Conditioning is relevant to attachment
SLT explains babies active involvement

Question 10

Limitations of social learning theories

Answer 10

Animal studies contradict research (lorenz/harlow)
Baby studies contradict research (schaffer and Emerson)