CUPBOARD LOVE THEORY

Question 1

Who made this theory?

Answer 1

Dollard and Miller

Question 2

What is the cupboard love theory?

Answer 2

a caregiver-infant attachment can be explained by the learning theory, acquired through both classical and operant conditioning
-emphasises the important if the caregiver as a provider of food- ‘children learn to love whoever feed them’

Question 3

Classical conditioning

Answer 3

before conditioning:
food = UCS
happiness = UCR
caregiver = NS -> NO RESPONSE

during conditioning
food (UCS) + caregiver (NS) -> happiness (UCR)

after conditioning
caregiver (CS) -> happiness (CR)

Question 4

Operant conditioning

Answer 4

-babies cry for comfort which leads to a response from the caregiver e.g. feeding- as long as the caregiver provides the correct response, the crying is reinforced
baby then directs crying for comfort towards the caregiver who responds by providing comforting behaviour
(this can either be positive reinforcement -> reward = food OR negative reinforcement -> avoiding hunger)
-REINFORCEMENT IS A TWO-WAY PROCESS
-the caregiver receives negative reinforcement because the crying stops - escaping from something unpleasant
the interplay of mutual reinforcement strengthens an attachment

Question 5

What did Sears et al suggest about attachment

Answer 5

that it is a secondary drive
-the caregiver provides food (the primary drive of hunger becomes generalised to them)
attachment is thus a secondary drive- LEARNED BY AN ASSOCIATION BETWEEN THE CAREGIVER AND THE SATISFACTION OF A PRIMARY DRIVE

Question 6

EVALUATION OF THE CUPBOARD LOVE THEORY

Answer 6

): CONFLICTION EVIDENCE FROM RESEARCH
e.g. animals studies: Lorenz and Harlow showed food is not the most important factor
e.g. human study- SCHAFFER AND EMERSON- 65% of babies developed primary attachment to biological mother regardless of who was feeding - responsiveness = more important

(: USEFULNESS
-some aspects of human development are affected by conditioning
e.g. can be useful to explain association between primary caregiver and the provision of comfort/ social interactions part of what builds an attachment

OPPOSING THEORY
e.g. Bowlby’s theory
e.g. HAY AND VESPO - newer explanation of c-i attachment based on social learning theory
-acquired largely as a result of modelling behaviour and imitation behaviour where parents teach children to love by modelling attachment behaviour an rewarding them with approval when child displays this