Learning Theory

Question 1

What is learning theory?

Answer 1

Behaviourists argue that all behaviour (including attachment) is learnt through environmental experiences rather than being an innate mechanism

Question 2

What are the 2 types of conditioning involved in learning?

Answer 2

Classical
Operant

Question 3

How does classical conditioning work in relation to attachment?

Answer 3

Before conditioning: food is the UCS and pleasure is the UCR
During conditioning: items present when feeding occurs (e.g mother) become an NS, which elicits no response
After conditioning: consistent pairing of NS with UCS means that the mother now becomes CS and pleasure becomes CR

Question 4

How does operant conditioning work in relation to attachment?

Answer 4

• Hunger is a drive that motivates an infant to reduce the discomfort experienced when hungry
• Food reduces this drive and so pleasure is experienced (positive reinforcement)
• Food becomes the primary reinforcer as it supplies the reward
• The person who supplied the food is associated with avoiding discomfort (secondary reinforcer)
• Attachment occurs because the child seeks the person who can supply the reward

Question 5

Supporting research based on animals - AO3

Answer 5

• Learning theory is based on research with non human animals (e.g pavlovs dogs or skinners rats)
• Behaviourists argue that humans are no different from animals in terms of learning
• However, others argue that attachments are too complex to extrapolate to animals
• This matters because behaviourist explanations may present an oversimplified version of human attachment

Question 6

Lack of support evidence for humans - AO3

Answer 6

-Schaffer and Emerson (1964) found that babies tended to form their main attachment with their mother, regardless of whether she usually supplied food
- Furthermore, Isabella et al. (1989) found that high levels of interactional synchrony predicted quality of attachment
- This suggests that food is not the main factor is formation of human attachment, as the learning theory suggests

Question 7

Elements of conditioning could be involved in some aspects of attachment - AO3

Answer 7

• It seems unlikely that association with food plays a central role in attachment, but conditioning may still play a role
• For example, a baby may associate feeling comfortable with the presence of a particular person