Attachment: Explanations Of Attachment - Learning Theory

Question 1

What two learning explanations can be used to explain attachment?

Answer 1

Classical + operant conditioning

Question 2

Classical conditioning is learning through…

Answer 2

Association between stimulus and responses

Question 3

Operant conditioning is learning through…

Answer 3

Consequences (Reinforcement, rewards and punishment)

Question 4

Which behaviourist researcher developed the theory of classical conditioning

Answer 4

Pavlov

Question 5

Which behaviourist researcher developed the theory of operant conditioning?

Answer 5

Skinner

Question 6

Learning theory suggests infants learn to attach to…

Answer 6

Whoever feeds them

Question 7

What is meant by an unconditioned stimulus?

Answer 7

something in the environment you have not learned to respond to, response is automatic

Question 8

What is meant by a neutral stimulus

Answer 8

something in your environment you feel nothing towards AT FIRST

Question 9

What is meant by an unconditioned response?

Answer 9

An natural/automatic response - not learned.

Question 10

What is meant by a conditioned stimulus?

Answer 10

stimulus that has been learnt (NS always becomes CS through repetition and association)

Question 11

What is meant by an conditioned response?

Answer 11

A learnt reaction/response

Question 12

According to learning theory, milk is what kind of stimulus?

Answer 12

Unconditioned

Question 13

According to learning theory, the feeder is what type of stimulus, at first?

Answer 13

Neutral

Question 14

According to learning theory, milk acts as what when forming an attachment?

Answer 14

Unconditioned stimulus

Question 15

According to learning theory of attachment, what is the unconditioned response?

Answer 15

Pleasure

Question 16

According to learning theory of attachment, what is the feeder?

Answer 16

Neutral stimulus

Question 17

According to learning theory, the neutral stimulus when learning an attachment is…

Answer 17

The feeder

Question 18

A student has written this response:

“As soon as the feeder feeds the infant, the infant associates pleasure with the feeder and an attachment”

Is this correct or incorrect; why?

Answer 18

Incorrect - feeding needs to be repetitive

Question 19

Through repetition of feeding the infant learns to __________ the feeder with food and pleasure

Answer 19

Associate

Question 20

What is meant by associate?

Answer 20

Pair / link / put together

Question 21

During the conditioning process what is paired together

Answer 21

Neutral stimulus (feeder) + Unconditioned stimulus (food)

Question 22

After the conditioning process - what does the feeder become?

Answer 22

Conditioned stimulus

Question 23

After the conditioning process - what is the conditioned stimulus?

Answer 23

Feeder

Question 24

After the conditioning process - what does pleasure become?

Answer 24

The conditioned response

Question 25

**After** the conditioning process - what is the conditioned response?

Answer 25

Pleasure

Question 26

Operant conditioning can explain why an infant performs what behaviour, and for what purpose?

Answer 26

Crying for comfort

Question 27

When an infant is hungry, what behaviour is performed?

Answer 27

Crying

Question 28

When an infant cries, what behaviour does the caregiver provide?

Answer 28

Feeding

Question 29

When an infant cries, the caregiver feeds the infant. What type of reinforcement is this?

Answer 29

Positive

Question 30

An infant's crying is positively reinforced by what reward?

Answer 30

Food

Question 31

Food acts as what component in the context of positive reinforcement?

Answer 31

Reward

Question 32

Who is positively reinforced to strengthen an attachment?

Answer 32

Infant

Question 33

When a caregiver feeds the infant, the crying stops. What type of reinforcement does the caregiver receive?

Answer 33

Negative

Question 34

Who is negatively reinforced in the context of strengthening an attachment?

Answer 34

The caregiver

Question 35

How is the caregiver negatively reinforced in the context of strengthening an attachment?

Answer 35

Feeding makes the crying stop

Question 36

What component does crying act as in the context of negative reinforcement?

Answer 36

Negative stimulus

Question 37

What is operant conditioning used to explain, in the context of attachment?

Answer 37

An attachment strengthening

Question 38

# **AO3 Focus** Learning theory can be criticised for what type of reductionism? ## Footnote *This will form your Point of your PEEL*

Answer 38

Environmental ## Footnote *This will form your Point of your PEEL*

Question 39

# **AO3 Focus** **Why** can learning theory be criticised for environmental reductionism? ## Footnote *This will form the first E of your PEEL*

Answer 39

It reduces the complex human behaviour of attachment down to simple basic units ## Footnote *This will form the first E of your PEEL*

Question 40

# **AO3 Focus** What simple basic units does learning theory reduce attachment **into?** | *Remember to be specific - refer to the theory itself using your knowled ## Footnote *This will form the first E of your PEEL*

Answer 40

classical conditioning (Stimulus, response and association) and operant conditioning (rewards, reinforcements and punishment) ## Footnote *This will form the first E of your PEEL*

Question 41

# **AO3 Focus** If the learning theory is reductionist, what approach does this mean is rejected? ## Footnote *This will form the second E of your PEEL*

Answer 41

Holistic approach ## Footnote *This will form the second E of your PEEL*

Question 42

# **AO3 Focus** Who conducted research to contradict learning theory's idea that we attach via food?

Answer 42

Harlow

Question 43

# **AO3 Focus** What did Harlow find which contradicts learning theory?

Answer 43

Monkeys spent more time with the surrogate mother who provided comfort than the surrogate mother who provided them with food..

Question 44

# **AO3 Focus** **Why** do Harlow's findings contradict learning theory?

Answer 44

Learning says we learn to attach through making associations to who **feeds us** - Harlow found contact comfort more important

Question 45

# **AO3 Focus** What did Schaffer & Emerson find which contradicts learning theory?

Answer 45

Infants attach to their mother (65%) regardless of whether she was the one who usually fed them