Explanations Of Attachment: The Learning Theory Flashcards
(13 cards)
Who proposed the Learning theory of attachment
Dollard and Miller (1950)
What is this approach often referred to as
“Cupboard love’ - emphasises the importance of the caregiver as a provider of food
How does the baby learn to form an attachment with its mother
Through classical conditioning
The process of attachment through classical conditioning
-Through classical conditioning, the child learns to associate the carer with food.
-Food is an unconditioned stimulus which is associated with pleasure.
-Originally, the carer is a neutral stimulus- one that produces no response.
-Over time, when the carer regularly feeds the child they become associated with food and becomes a conditioned stimulus which evokes the conditioned response of pleasure, even without the food being present.
-This is how attachment develops
The process of attachment according to operant conditioning
.
- A baby feels discomfort due to hunger, creating a drive to reduce this discomfort. Baby cries.
-When the caregiver feeds the baby, the discomfort is relieved, acting as a reward- this is positive reinforcement.
-The caregiver also experiences negative reinforcement as feeding stops the baby’s crying, and so avoids something unpleasant.
-Over time, the baby associates the caregiver with comfort and forms an attachment.
-Thus, the infant learns to repeat behaviours that bring about reward and comfort, reinforcing attachment behaviours such as crying and proximity-seeking.
What is drive reduction
-Baby’s have an innate motivation to eat to reduce hunger. When the mother rewards the baby by feeding it, the discomfort caused by hunger is reduced, acting as a negative reinforcer. As a result the infant becomes attached to the mother.
What is operant conditioning
Learning by consequence
What is classical conditioning
Learning through association
Evaluation of the Learning theory
-Useful for understanding some aspects of attachment
-Based on animal studies (e.g skinner)
-Ignores the role of contact comfort in attachment
-Bowlby’s theory of attachment
-Social learning theory of attachment
Research that disagrees with the idea that attachment is based on the feeding bond between mother and baby
-Harlow- Attachment is based on the contact comfort that the mother provides
-Schaffer and Emerson- Attachment is based on how responsive the caregiver is to the baby’s signals
What is Dollard and Miller’s research based on
Animal studies E.G skinners research on rats.
How does Bowlby’s theory of attachment criticise Dollard and Miller
-Attachment is not learnt through the feeding process - it is an innate process that has evolved overtime. Babies are genetically preprogrammed to form attachments in their early years of life to ensure their survival. Caregivers ensure they are protected, warm and fed.
Why may the learning theory be useful for understanding some aspects of attachment
-Seems unlikely that association with food is central to attachment. But- May still play some role in attachment
-E.G a baby’s CHOICE of primary attachment figure may be determined by the fact that a caregiver becomes associated with warmth and comfort.
-Means that conditioning could still be important in choice of attachment figures, but no the process of attachment formation
