A- Explanations of Attachment- Learning Theory Flashcards
What does the learning theory propose?
Learning theory (also known as the behavioural theory) proposes that all behaviour is learned rather than inborn. It suggests that attachment is based on the providing of food alone.
How is attachment learnt through classical conditioning?
- With regards to attachment, milk is an unconditioned stimulus, which provides unconditioned pleasure and relief from hunger.
- The caregiver/mother is the neutral stimulus.
- Over time the baby comes to associate the provider of milk with the milk itself (this is called a conditioned or learned response), and so the person becomes associated with that feeling of pleasure or relief.
- Thus the conditioned stimulus is the mother and the conditioned response is pleasure . - Therefore, the reason why a baby becomes attached to the caregiver is because it associates the caregiver with pleasure (food/milk satisfying its hunger).
What is operant conditioning based on?
Operant conditioning is based on learning through rewards (reinforcement which can be positive or negative) and punishments (which can also be positive or negative).
How is attachment formed through operant conditioning?
- Milk/food is a primary reinforcer- it provides positive reinforcement (feelings of pleasure) and negative reinforcement (takes away hunger).
- The person who supplies the food is associated with pleasure and the removal of discomfort and becomes a secondary reinforcer and a source of reward in his/her own right.
- Attachment therefore occurs because the child seeks the person who can supply the reward.
- Therefore the mother/caregiver is seen as the secondary reinforcement figure that will help the baby receive the primary reinforcement (milk).
Evaluate the learning theory as an explanation of attachments. (Advantages)
1) Some elements of conditioning could still be involved in forming attachments.
- Although there is little doubt that the learning theory is not a complete explanation of why attachments are formed, it does nonetheless explain one reason why attachments happen i.e. due to food.
eg: little Albert
Evaluate the learning theory as an explanation of attachments. (Disadvantages)
1) Learning Theory is based on animal studies.
- A criticism of learning theory that it is largely based on studies with non-human animals such as Skinner used Pigeons and rats and Pavlov used dogs.
- Behaviourists such as Pavlov and Skinner believe that humans are really no different from other animals in terms of how they learn.
- Our behaviour patterns are constructed from the same basic building blocks of SR and they argue it is therefore legitimate to generalise from animals to humans.
- However, attachments which can be argued to be a complex behaviour cannot possibly be explained by conditioning – in fact attachment behaviours have been argued to be inborn and necessary for survival!
2) Attachment is not based on food.
- There is undoubtedly a wealth of both human and animal research that shows that attachment formation has absolutely nothing to do with feeding the baby e.g. Lorenz’s study showed that imprinting with Lorenz even though he did not feed the baby goslings – similarly Harlow’s research also shows that the baby monkeys were most attached to the cloth monkey even though the wire monkey provided them with milk.
- Furthermore Schaffer and Emerson’s study on human babies showed that many of the babies did not form primary attachments with the person who fed them the most
3) The Learning Theory ignores other factors associated with forming attachment .
- The learning theory is reductionist as it focuses too much on conditioning in terms of food and pleasure and ignores factors like interactional synchrony and reciprocity which are definitely not based on food and are important prerequisites in forming an attachment.
- In addition, studies have shown that the best quality attachments are with sensitive carers that pick up infant signals and respond appropriately.
