learning theory

Question 1

AO1

Answer 1

Explains attachment as behaviour learnt through conditioning & environment.
Classical conditioning - learning takes place through associating 2 stimuli together so that we begin to respond to one in the same way we already respond to the other - this is applied to attachment.
Food is an unconditioned stimulus, so elicits an unconditioned response (pleasure). A caregiver is a neutral stimulus, so produces no response. When the caregiver is paired with the unconditioned stimulus of food, it will produce pleasure (UCR). Over time, the caregiver will become associated with the food, so becomes the conditioned stimulus. This is because it produces pleasure (conditioned response) without the food.
Operant conditioning - where a behaviour is repeated or not depending on its consequences.
Explains why babies cry for comfort, as crying leads to a response from caregiver, such as feeding or coming to comfort baby. The more this happens, the more crying is reinforced as the baby receives rewards for their behaviour such as comfort from caregiver, which leads to an attachment.

Question 2

AO3 - other factors more important

Answer 2

In Schaffer’s research, the first attachment formed by 39% of babies was not to the person who carried out physical care such as feeding and changing the baby. Many of the children were minded by non-parents who fed them, but they still became attached to their parents. Suggests that food is not everything, or the main factor in forming attachments.
However, Schaffer’s research was a naturalistic observation, therefore there was limited control over variables which limits the study’s replicability. Therefore findings on replications are likely to be unreliable.

Question 3

AO3 - reductionist

Answer 3

Learning theory is reductionist as it only explains attachment as a result of conditioning and the environment. This means it ignores all cognitive processes and emotions that would influence forming an attachment.
Furthermore, it ignores the evidence that points to the importance of evolutionary aspects of attachment as considered by Bowlby.

Question 4

AO3 - theoretical support

Answer 4

Theoretical support - the learning theory of attachment is based on behaviourism, which has some supporting research. For example, Pavlov demonstrated classical conditioning in dogs, where they associated food with a tuning fork so they became conditioned to salivate in response to just a tuning fork.
However, this was a lab experiment, therefore has low ecological validity so results cannot be generalised.