Learning Theory of Attachment

Question 1

Classical Conditioning

Answer 1

Process of which a behaviour is learnt

• Baby forms association between mother (NS) and feeling of pleasure that comes with being fed (innate UCR)
• Each time fed mother is present
• Quickly associates mother with pleasure of being fed
• Mother becomes CS that causes pleasure for the child (CR)
• Baby happier when mother is near
• Beginning of the formation of attachment

Question 2

Operant Conditioning

Answer 2

. Certain behaviours bring desirable responses from others, through operant conditioning learn to repeat responses to get what they want
- Positive = baby rewarded (gets attention)
- Negative = attending to baby makes crying stop

Question 3

Secondary Drive Hypothesis

Answer 3

. Dollard and Miller = process of learning attachment through operant and classical conditioning
. Explains how primary drives (essential for survival) become associated with secondary drives (attachment)

Question 4

Evaluation

Answer 4

Face Validity (S)
. makes intuitive sense that babies will cry more when learning crying gives them more attention

Animal Studies (W)
. Harlow’s monkeys showed comfort was more important than food - attachment isn’t learnt but instinctive

Environment Reductionism (W)
. attachment is more complicated than learnt responses and patterns of reinforcement