Attachment : explanations - the learning theory Flashcards
(10 cards)
Who first proposed the learning theory as an explanation of attachment?
Dollard and Miller
What does the learning approach suggest and why is it sometimes referred to as the ‘cupboard love’ approach?
The learning approach stems from the behaviourist approach to psychology as it suggests that humans learn to form attachments through classical and operant conditioning
It is sometimes referred to as the ‘cupboard love’ approach as it emphasises the idea that children form attachments with whoever feeds them
Describe what is meant by classical conditioning
Classical conditioning = learning from association
- Babies learn to associate their mothers (a neutral stimulus) with the feeling of pleasure that comes from being fed (an unconditioned response)
- This leads to the mother becoming a conditioned stimulus which creates pleasure for the child, so the baby feels happier when the mother is close - this is the beginning of an attachment being formed
Who initially demonstrated classical conditioning?
Classical conditioning was initially demonstrated by Pavlov when he showed how dogs became conditioned to salivate at the sound of a bell ringing:
Food (unconditioned stimulus) = Salivation (unconditioned response)
Food + Bell (neutral stimulus) = Salivation
Bell (conditioned stimulus) = Salivation (conditioned response)
Describe what is meant by operant conditioning
Operant conditioning = learning from consequences
- if a behaviour results in a pleasant consequence (reinforcement), it is likely to be repeated
- if a behaviour results in an unpleasant consequence (punishment), it is less likely to be repeated
How can operant conditioning be used to explain why babies cry for comfort?
- A baby crying encourages a response from the caregiver, like feeding or showing affection
- This means the behaviour of crying is positively reinforced as it results in pleasant consequences
- This increases the likeliness of the baby repeating the behaviour of crying
This reinforcement is reciprocal as as the caregiver learns that if they feed the baby, this results in the pleasant outcome of the crying being stopped (negative reinforcement)
What is meant by drive reduction?
The concept in the learning theory which suggests that hunger is the innate primary drive. Since caregivers provide food, babies form attachments to them as they associate the caregiver with the satisfaction of hunger. Therefore, babies form attachments in order to survive
What are 2 limitations of the learning theory?
- There is contradictory evidence from animal studies
- eg Harlow’s research showed that contact comfort was more important than food in the development of an attachment, since the baby monkeys formed attachments with the cloth-covered mother, regardless of which mother was dispensing milk
- eg in Lorenz’s research, the geese imprinted on the first moving object they saw, regardless of whether this object provided food
This suggests that food has vert little influence upon the development of attachments, opposing the learning theory explanation - There is also counter evidence from human studies
- eg Shaffer and Emerson found that babies tended to form their primary attachment with their mother regardless of whether she was the one who usually fed the,
- eg Isabella et al. found that high levels of interactional synchrony predicted the quality of attachment - this factor is completely unrelated to food
What is a strength of the learning theory as an explanation of attachment?
Conditioning can be used to explain some aspects of attachment
- eg operant conditioning - baby crying = comfort and care from caregiver - leads to formation of attchment
Who suggested the idea of drive reduction?
Robert Sears
