Learning theory Flashcards
What is the learning theory?
Behaviourist approach theories
Emphasise role of learning in the acquisition of behaviour
What is classical conditioning?
Learning to associate two stimuli together so that we begin to respond to one in the same way as we already respond to the othe.
What is classical conditioning in attachment?
Food - unconditioned stimulus
Pleasure - unconditioned response
Neutral stimulus - caregiver
Caregiver provides food becomes associated with food
Begin to have expectation of food when they see caregiver
Neutral stimulus becomes conditioned stimulus
Sight of caregiver
Conditioned response
Conditioned pleasure response is love
What is operant conditioning?
Learning from the consequences of behaviour.
If behaviour produces a pleasant consequence, behaviour is likely to be repeated again.
Behaviour reinforced
If behaviour produces unpleasant consequence it is less likely to be repeated.
What is operant conditioning in attachment?
Crying - response from caregiver
Caregiver gives correct response - crying is reinforced
Baby then directs crying for comfort towards caregiver
Who responds with comforting social suppressor behaviour
Two way process
Caregiver - negative reinforcement crying stops
(Escaping from something unpleasant is reinforcing)
Interplay of mutual reinforcement strengthens an attachment
What is an evaluation of the learning theory?
Counter evidence from animal studies
Lack of support
Lorenz
Geeze imprinted on first moving object they saw regardless of whether was associated with food.
Harlow
No support for importance of food
Monkeys displayed attachment behaviour towards a soft surrogate mother in preference to a wire one which provided milk
Showing factors other than association with food are important in the formation of attachments
What did Sears et all suggest about attachment as a secondary drive?
Caregivers provide food
Primary drive of hunger becomes generalised to them
Attachment - secondary drive
Learned by an association between the satisfaction of a primary drive
What is an evaluation of the learning theory?
Counter evidence from studies on humans
Schaffer and Emerson
Babies tended to form their main attachment to mother regardless of whether she was one who usually fed them
Isabllela et al
High levels of interactional synchrony predicted quality of attachment
Factors are not related to feeding
Suggesting food is not main factors in the formation of human attachments
What is an evaluation of the learning theory?
Some conditioning may be involved
Baby may associate feeling warm and comfortable with presence of a particular adult
May influence babys choice of their main attachment figure.
Meaning learning theory may still be useful in understanding development of attachments
What is an evaluation of the learning theory?
Counterpoint of conditioning being involved
Classical and operant explanations see baby playing relatively passive role in attachment development
Responding to associations with comfort or reward.
Research shows
Babies take very active role in interactions that produce attachment
Meaning conditioning may not be an adequate explanation of any aspect of attachment
