EXPLANATIONS OF ATTACHMENT - LEARNING THEORY

Question 1

who came up with learning theory?

Answer 1

Dollard and Miller

Question 2

what are the 2 types of conditioning?

Answer 2

classical conditioning

operant conditioning

Question 3

classical conditioning involves…

Answer 3

learning to associate 2 stimuli together

Question 4

give an example of classical conditioning in attachment

Answer 4

food (UCS) leads to pleasure (UCR) , mother (NS) associated with food and becomes a conditioned stimulus giving the conditioned response of pleasure

Question 5

operant conditioning involves…

Answer 5

maintaining and reinforcing behaviour

Question 6

what are the two types of reinforcement?

Answer 6

positive and negative reinforcement

Question 7

what is negative reinforcement?

Answer 7

responding to something in order to stop it

Question 8

give an example of negative reinforcement in attachment?

Answer 8

when a mother gives a baby food in order to stop it rom crying, responding the avoid the negative consequence

Question 9

what is positive reinforcement?

Answer 9

responding to something in order to get something

Question 10

give an example of positive reinforcement in attachment?

Answer 10

when a baby cries in order to get food, responding in order to get something good

Question 11

drive reduction is…

Answer 11

how attachment is a secondary drive learned by associating primary caregiver and satisfaction of the hunger drive

Question 12

what 2 things show feeding is not an important factor in attachment?

Answer 12

animal studies

human research

Question 13

how do animal studies criticise learning theory?

Answer 13

in both animal studies, the animals maintained attachments regardless of who fed them

Question 14

since learning theorists believe humans and non-human animals are the same this means…

Answer 14

that food doesn’t create an attachment in humans

Question 15

how does human research criticise learning theory?

Answer 15

Schaffer and Emerson’s research

Question 16

how does Schaffer and Emerson’s research criticise learning theory?

Answer 16

found primary caregiver is not the one that fed the baby, no unconditioned stimulus is involved what matters is the time spent with the child and interacting with it

Question 17

what did Schaffer and Emerson say mattered more in forming attachements?

Answer 17

mattered more about responding to signals

Question 18

what is a strength of learning theory?

Answer 18

some elements of conditioning could still be involved as many aspects of human development are affected by conditioning

Question 19

what is an example of classical conditioning elsewhere?

Answer 19

primary caregiver and comfort could build on attachment

Question 20

who created an alternative explanation for learning theory?

Answer 20

Hay and Vespo

Question 21

what did Hay and Vespo identify?

Answer 21

social learning theory

Question 22

social learning theory is…

Answer 22

parents teach children by modelling behaviours and rewarding them with approval when showing their attachment e.g. smiling

Question 23

the consequence of rewarding in SLT is…

Answer 23

learned attachment through interactions, fitting in with reciprocity and interactional synchrony

Question 24

what is ‘cupboard love?’

Answer 24

children learn to love whoever feeds them, importance of food in attachment formation

Question 25

explain classical conditioning

Answer 25

UCS leads to UCR , NS associated with something and becomes a conditioned stimulus giving a conditioned response