Explaination Of Attachment: Learning Theory

Question 1

What does the learning theory suggest

Answer 1

The ‘cupboard love theory’ suggests that we love who feeds us
Involves classical and operant conditioning

Question 2

Explain classical conditioning for the cupboard love theory

Answer 2

Learning from association

Before -
UNS — UCR
(Food — pleasure)

Before
NS — NR
(Caregiver — no response)

During
UNS + NS — UCR
(Food + caregiver — pleasure)

After
CS — CR
(Caregiver — pleasure)

Question 3

Operant conditioning for the cupboard love theory

Answer 3

Operant conditioning explains why babies cry for comfort.

1. Babies hungry (primary drive)
2. Baby cries
3. Caregiver feeds baby
4. Baby feels happy again
5. Hungry again
   6.Cries again

The caregiver becomes a secondary reinforcer through association and the bab wants to stay close to them (attachment = secondary drive)

Question 4

How I negative reinforcement linked

Answer 4

Negative reinforcement is repeating a behaviour to reduce something unpleasant

The caregiver shows negative reinforcement because they are feeding the baby to stop them from crying

Question 5

Strength evaluation

Answer 5

P- elements of conditioning could be invloved in other aspects of attachment
E- baby may associate feeling warm and comfortable under the presence of a particular adult and this may influence their choice of primary attachment figure
E-useful when understanding the development of attachment

P- supporting evidence for classical conditioning
E- little Albert study
E- attachments can be learnt through classical conditioning

Question 6

Limitaion evaluation

Answer 6

P- contradictory findings from animal studies
E- in Harlows monkey study, it shows that the monkeys spend 17-18 hours on the cloth mother and less then an hour on the wire mother, which suggests that they have a stronger attachment for comfort rather then food. Similarly, Lorenz geese imprinted in the first moving object they saw, meaning food wasn’t involved in their attachment
E- other factors that are more important in attachment then food

P- contradictory findings from human studies
E- Schaffer and Emerson showed that for many babies their main attachment figure was not the person who fed them, and it was more likely to be the person who responded the most sensitivity to the child’s needs
E- children form attachments over other factors rather then food