Explanation of Attachment: Learning Theory

Question 1

2 explanations of attachment

Answer 1

the learning theory

Bowlby’s theory of monotropy (1969)

Question 2

describe the basics of the learning theory

4

Answer 2

proposes that infants are born as blank slates and attachments are learned through experience rather than being innate

all behaviour, including attachments, is learned through either classical or operant conditioning

food is the most significant factor behind attachment — attachments are formed to those feeding us and are based on satisfying physiological needs via feeding

main features…
• classical conditioning
• operant conditioning
• social learning theory

Question 3

classical conditioning

5

Answer 3

learning through association

first investigated by Pavlov

before conditioning — there is an innate stimulus and response, the UCS (food) produces the UCR (pleasure), at this stage the mother acts as the NS and produces no response from the infant

during conditioning — during the infant’s first few weeks the mother (NS) and the food (UCS) are consistently paired up and the baby learns to associate the mother with food and therefore pleasure

after conditioning — the mother alone is eventually associated with pleasure and takes on the properties of the UCS and becomes the CS, resulting in the infant feeling pleasure in her presence (CR)

Question 4

operant conditioning

9

Answer 4

learning through reinforcement

first investigated by Skinner but Dollard and Miller suggested an explanation of attachment based on operant conditioning and drive reduction theory

a drive is something that motivates behaviour

when an infant is hungry a drive is created to reduce that discomfort and when an infant is fed this drive is reduced, resulting in the infant feeling pleasure which is rewarding

this is called positive reinforcement — the behaviour that led to the infant being fed is more likely to be repeated in the future because it resulted in something rewarding

behaviour produces consequences and the nature of that consequence determines how likely it is to recur

food becomes the primary reinforcer as it supplies the reward (pleasure rather than discomfort)

the person providing the food becomes the secondary reinforcer through classical conditioning as they’re associated with the food and therefore pleasure

attachment occurs because the child seeks the person who can supply the reward (food and pleasure)

Question 5

social learning theory

3

Answer 5

further development of the learning theory by Bandura

explains attachment through modelling — people act as models and we learn how to behave by observing others and imitating behaviours that are rewarded

for example, children may observe their parents’ affectionate behaviour and imitate this and parents reward appropriate attachment behaviours

Question 6

x3 evaluation points

Answer 6

challenged by Harlow

based on animal research

alternative explanation

Question 7

EVALUATION
challenged by Harlow

5

Answer 7

a limitation of the learning theory is that it is challenged by the research of Harlow

he found that all of the monkeys he observed spent more time with the cloth covered mother, which provided comfort and safety, regardless of whether this mother had the feeding bottle or not

this challenges the learning theory because it suggests that attachments are formed to those offering comfort rather than those offering food

whereas the learning theory suggests that food is the most important factor in the formation of attachments

therefore, the learning theory may lack reliability and have limited usefulness in explaining attachments

Question 8

EVALUATION
alternative explanation

5

Answer 8

another limitation of the learning theory is that there may be a more useful, alternative explanation

arguably, Bowlby’s theory provides a better explanation of attachment because it can explain why attachments form whereas the learning theory only explains how

the learning theory also offers no advantages of attachment while Bowlby’s theory suggests that they protect us from harm

overall, Bowlby’s theory appears to be significantly more detailed and answers all questions concerning attachment and in comparison the learning theory is limited

therefore, the learning theory may not be the most useful explanation to use and other theories should be considered when explaining attachments as they offer a more complete explanation

Question 9

EVALUATION
based on animal research

5

Answer 9

a limitation of the learning theory is that it is based on the principles of animal research

for example, Pavlov used dogs to explain classical conditioning and Skinner used rats to explain operant conditioning

these studies attempt to use animals to explain human behaviour, including attachments, which may be problematic as humans are vastly different and more complex

we form attachments differently and do not imprint like animals do, it is also widely held that more of our behaviours are governed by conscious decisions

the learning theory relies on animal research to inform many of its key beliefs, meaning that the theory may not be able to accurately explain how humans form attachments and should be viewed with caution when doing so