Explanations For Attachment- Learning Theory

Question 1

Dollard and Miller (1950) theory?

Answer 1

‘cupboard love’ based on principles of learning theory argues that infants become attached to caregiver because they learn that the caregiver provides food

Question 2

Classical Conditioning cupboard love?

Answer 2

• Food (UCS) - Pleasure (UCR)
• Mother (NS)
• UCS + NS - UCR - mother present every time baby is fed so becomes associated with pleasure of being fed
• Mother (CS) - Pleasure (CR) - presence of mother infant has a conditioned pleasure response

Question 3

Operant conditioning cupboard love?

Answer 3

• positive reinforcement - parent feeds crying baby, baby more likely to repeat crying behavior to get food
• negative reinforcement - parents feeding behavior negatively reinforced by baby stop crying when fed

Question 4

Why is Attachment a secondary drive?

Answer 4

• primary drives are instinctive (eat, sleep) as they are biological needs
• secondary drives are learnt and lead to primary drive being satisfied (hunger)

Question 5

AO3 Limitation - point

Answer 5

Empirical evidence directly challenges learning theory

Question 6

AO3 Limitation - evidence

Answer 6

Harlow rhesus monkeys experiment - only went to ‘food mother’ when needed food - mainly with ‘cloth mother’ for comfort.