attachment- explanations of attachment: learning theory Flashcards
who came up with learning theory?
Dollard and Miller (1950)
what’s the importance of food in learning theory?
-sometime called ‘cupboard love’ explanation as emphasises importance of food in attachment
-children learn to love who feeds them
role of classical conditioning in learning theory of attachment
cc involves learning to associate two stimuli:
ucs (food) –> ucr (feeling of pleasure). this response is not learnt so is an unconditioned response (unlearned)
baby learns that mother produces a sense of pleasure in learning theory of attachment
-caregiver starts as a NS but when they provide food over time they become associated with ‘food’. so the NS become a CS
-once conditioning has taken place the sight of the caregiver produces a CR of pleasure
-according to learning theorist, the conditioned pleasure response is the basis of love
-attachment has formed and caregiver becomes an attachment giver
role of operant conditioning in learning theory of attachment
-explains why babies cry for comfort
-crying leads to response from the caregiver (e.g. feeding)
-as long as caregiver provides the correct response crying is reinforced bc it produces a pleasurable consequence
negative reinforcement in learning theory of attachment
-at same time as baby is reinforced for crying, caregiver receives negative reinforcement bc crying stops
-the interplay of positive/negative reinforcement strengthens an attachment
drive reduction in learning theory of attachment
-hunger is a primary drive, an innate biological motivator, motivated to eat to reduce the hunger drive
-Attachment is a secondary drive learned by an association between the caregiver and the satisfaction of a primary drive. Sears et al. (1957) suggested that, as caregivers provide food, the primary drive of hunger becomes generalised to them.
ao3 learning theory of attachment: counter-evidence from animal studies
-Lorenz’s geese imprinted on the first moving object they saw. Harlow’s monkeys attached to a soft surrogate in preference to a wire one with milk
-in both, imprinting/attachment didn’t develop as a result of feeding
-shows factors other than feeding are important in attachment formation
ao3 learning theory of attachment: counter evidence from human studies
-Schaffer and Emerson (1964) showed for many babies main attachment was not the person who fed them
-Isabella et al (1989) found interactional synchrony (unrelated to feeding) predicted attachment quality
-suggests that other factors are more important in attachment formation than feeding
ao3 learning theory of attachment: elements of conditioning could still be involved
-seems unlikely association with food is central to attachment. however, conditioning may still play some role
-i.e. baby choices of primary figure may be determined by the fact the caregiver becomes associated with warmth and comfort
-means that conditioning could still be important in choice of attachment figures, though not the process of attachment formation.
