ATTACHMENT - explanations of attachment: learning theory Flashcards
what is learning theory?
A set of theories from the behaviourist approach to psychology, that emphasise the role of learning in the addition of behaviour.
who proposed that caregiver-infant attachment can be explain by learning theory?
Dollard and Miller (1950)
what did Dollard and Miller propose simply?
that children learn to love whoever feeds them
what is classical conditioning?
Learning through association
How is classical conditioning used to explain how attachment between caregiver and infant is formed?
Caregiver (neutral stimulus) becomes associated with food and the when the baby sees the caregiver there is an expectation of food.
The caregiver is now a conditioned stimulus =The sight of the caregiver produces a conditioned pleasure response in the baby which is love.
This forms an attachment with the caregiver = they become an attachment figure
what is operant conditioning?
Learning from the consequences of behaviour.
Pleasant consequence= likelihood for behaviour to be repeated = behaviour is reinforced.
How is operant conditioning used to explain how attachment between a caregiver-infant is formed?
Babies cry for comfort. Crying leads to a response from the caregiver (feeding). If caregiver provides the correct response, this behaviour is reinforced.
The baby then directs crying for comfort towards the caregiver.
At the same time the caregiver receives negative reinforcement as they respond for the crying to stop (to escape from an unpleasant stimulus).
This mutual reinforcement strengthens attachment
Why is attachment a secondary drive?
Attachment is a secondary drive learned by an association between the caregiver and the satisfaction of a primary drive.
Give STRENGTHS of learning theory explanations for attachment?
+ conditioning is involved in some aspects of attachment
eg baby may associate feeling warm and comfortable with the presence of a particular adult = this influence may be the babies choice of their main attachment figure.
= learning theory is useful in understanding the development of attachments
+ SLT is used
eg Hay and Vespo (1988) - people teach their children love by ‘modelling’ attachement behaviours, eg hugging
SLT is based around two way interaction between baby and adult = fits better with research into reciprocity.
give LIMITATIONS of learning theory explanations of attachment?
- lack of support from studies conducted on animals
eg Harlows research shows that there is no support for the importance of food = monkeys displayed attachment behaviour towards soft mother in preference to the wired monkey that provided milk.
This shows that there are other factors which are important in formation of attachment
- lack of support from studies conducted on human babies
eg Isabella et al (1989) - high levels of interactional synchrony predicted quality of attachment. These aren’t related to feeding which suggests that food isn’t the main factor in attachment. - classical + operant conditioning sees babies playing a passive role in attachment development = there are research which shows that babies acc take on an active role (Feldman and Eidelman)
