Learning Theory

Question 1

What type of theory is learning theory

Answer 1

Behaviourist

Question 2

What does leaning theory suggest about attachment

Answer 2

Attachment behaviour is learned through conditioning either classical or operant

Question 3

Describe the role of classic conditioning in attachment

Answer 3

Attachment behaviours are learned through association of the mother the food

Food(ucs) —> pleasure (ucr)
Food (ucs) + caregiver (ns) —> pleasure (ucr)
Caregiver (cs) —> pleasure (cr)

• the caregiver who is the source of food becomes associated with food so that the infant is conditioned to feel pleasure
• the infants seeks to be with the caregiver and protests at separation and an attachment has formed

Question 4

Describe the role of operant conditioning in attachment

Answer 4

Suggested by dollard and miller - hunger is unpleasant, uncomfortable experience for an infant, infants are in pale of alleviating hunger themselves so they cry.

• caregiver brings food, causes removal of discomfort of hunger, infant being with carer is associated with the removal of discomfort
• negative reinforcement

Question 5

Criticisms of attachment theory

Answer 5

• bowlby criticised he was influenced by Harlow, Harlows study contradicts learning theory - infant monkeys gained comfort from the soft mother rather than the wire one with food suggests not attached to the mothers that fed them if they had learned he attachment behaviour they would have gone to the wire mother - however its an animal study
• reductionist - simplify attachment behaviours too much by only focussing on feeding other factors are not considered eg comfort

Question 6

Strengths of learning theory

Answer 6

Conditioning could be involved in some aspects in attachment
- unlikely that association with fed plays a central role however it may still play a role eg baby may associate warm and comfortable present with a adult influencing their main attachment figure so learning theory may be useful in understanding the development of attachments

However
Classical and operant conditioning see baby’s as passive role in attachment simply responding to associations however research she’s Babbage’s take a very active role in the interactions that produce attachment this means conditioning may not be adequate explanation of any aspect of attachment