Explanations Of Attachment - Learning Theory

Question 1

Explain classical conditioning (learning theory)

Answer 1

• Attachment formed through association

• Food (UCS) produces pleasure (UCR)
• Feeder (NS) provides no response
initially but eventually produces
pleasure associated with food
• Pleasure become CR and Feeder CS

Question 2

Explain operant conditioning (learning theory)

Answer 2

Attachment is formed through reinforcement

• Primary drive for babies is hunger; driven to have hunger reduced
• Caregiver (secondary reinforcer) provides food (primary reinforcer) and reduces drive of hunger
• Infant seeks to be with caregiver as they’re source of reward and attachment forms

Caregiver conditioned by infant
• Feeding infant stops crying
• Feeding repeated to avoid crying
• Negative reinforcement

Question 3

Evaluation - Harlow’s research contradiction

Answer 3

• Learning theory would predict that monkey would attach to and spent time with mother that feeds it
—> Harlow’s monkeys preferred comfort monkey who gave no food

• Comfort > Food

Question 4

Evaluation - Too basic

Answer 4

• Learning theory too simplistic
—> food = pleasure

• Ignores importance of Interactional synchrony

• Babies in DRC breastfed by others but still prefer mothers
—> environmental reductionism

Question 5

Evaluation - Interactionalist approach is better

Answer 5

• Over emphasis on importance of nurture

• Attachment to complex to simply look at nurture