Learning Theory of Attachment

Question 1

what does the learning theory of attachment suggest

Answer 1

attachments develop through classical and operant conditioning

Question 2

what is classical conditioning

Answer 2

learning to associate two stimuli together

Question 3

explain how a baby could become attached to a caregiver in terms of classical conditioning

food

Answer 3

• caregiver starts as a neutral stimulus that produces no response
• food serves as an unconditional stimulus
• pleasure serves as an unconditioned response
• when the caregiver provides food, they become associated with pleasure
• the caregiver becomes a conditioned stimulus, producing a conditioned response of pleasure

Question 4

explain the study that supports that attachments are formed through operant conditioning

Answer 4

dollard and miller

• in the first year babies are fed 2000 times
• each feeding reduces the discomfort of hunger, which is negatively reinforcing
• the caregiver becomes associated with this reinforcement
• this strengthens the attachment

Question 5

explain the drive reduction theory

Answer 5

• hunger is a primary drive
• dollard and miller suggested that as caregivers procide food the primary drive of hunger is generalised to them
• attachment is therefore a secondary drive

Question 6

limitation

evaluate learning theory

Answer 6

• P - contradicted by animal research
• Eg - harlow found that baby monkeys prefered to spend time with a soft cloth mother rather than a wired mother who provided food
• Ex - this suggetss comfort and contact and more important in attahcment formation than feeding
• L - therefore, the idea that attachment forms primarily through classcical and operant conditioning involving food is undermined
• H - animal studies may not be able to fully generalise to humans

Question 7

strength

evaluate learning theory

Answer 7

• P - supporting evidence
• Eg - dollard and miller suggested that in the first year babies are fed around 2000 times, whihc creates frequent opportunities for the caregiver to be associated with the removal of hunger
• Ex - this supports the dea that attachment can form through negative reinforcement
• L - this gives credability to the operant conditioning explantion of attachment
• H - later research found that babies often form attachments to caregivers who are not involved in feeding, suggesting food alone isnt enough to explain attachment