Explanations of attachment: Learning theory

Question 1

Dollard and Miller (1950) proposed that caregiver-infant attachment can be explained by what?

Answer 1

learning theory

Question 2

What is Dollard and Miller (1950)’s approach sometimes called?

Answer 2

A ‘cupboard love’ approach

Question 3

Why is Dollard and Miller (1950)’s approach sometimes called a ‘cupboard love’ approach?

Answer 3

It emphasises the importance of the attachment figure as a provider for food

Question 4

Put simply, what does Dollard and Miller (1950)’s learning theory propose?

Answer 4

That children learn to love whoever feeds them

Question 5

Classical conditioning involves…

Answer 5

learning to associate two stimuli together so that we begin to respond to one in the same way as we already respond to the other

Question 6

Classical conditioning involves learning to associate two stimuli together so that we…

Answer 6

begin to respond to one in the same way as we already respond to the other

Question 7

In the case of attachment, what does food serve as in regards to classical conditioning?

Answer 7

An unconditioned stimulus

Question 8

Being fed gives us pleasure - what is this response known as in relation to classical conditioning?

Answer 8

An unconditioned response

Question 9

In terms of classical conditioning, what does the caregiver start as?

Answer 9

A neutral stimulus

Question 10

Neutral stimulus

Answer 10

Something that produces no response

Question 11

When a caregiver provides food over time they become associated with food. When the baby then sees this person there is…

Answer 11

an expectation of food

Question 12

When a caregiver provides food over time they become associated with food. When the baby then sees this person there is an expectation of food. What has the neutral stimulus become?

Answer 12

A conditioned stimulus

Question 13

When a caregiver provides food over time they become associated with food. When the baby then sees this person there is an expectation of food - pleasure. What would this response be called in relation to classical conditioning?

Answer 13

A conditioned response

Question 14

A baby sees a caregiver they have associated with food and therefore gives a conditioned response of pleasure. To a learning theorist this conditioned pleasure response is love, i.e….

Answer 14

an attachment is formed and the caregiver becomes an attachment figure

Question 15

Operant conditioning involves…

Answer 15

learning from the consequences of behaviour

Question 16

In operant conditioning, if behaviour produces a pleasant consequence, that behaviour is…

Answer 16

likely to be repeated again

Question 17

In operant conditioning, if a behaviour produces a pleasant consequence, that behaviour is likely to be repeated again. The behaviour is said to be what?

Answer 17

Reinforced

Question 18

If a behaviour produces an unpleasant consequence (punishment), it is more/less likely to be repeated

Answer 18

less

Question 19

Classical/operant conditioning can explain why babies cry for comfort

Answer 19

Operant

Question 20

Why is babies crying for comfort an important behaviour in building attachment?

Answer 20

Crying leads to a response from the caregiver, for example feeding. As long as the caregiver provides the correct response, crying is reinforced

Question 21

Crying leads to a response from the caregiver. As long as the caregiver provides the correct response,…

Answer 21

crying is reinforced

Question 22

When crying is reinforced a baby will then direct crying for comfort towards who?

Answer 22

The caregiver

Question 23

When crying is reinforced a baby will then direct crying for comfort towards the caregiver, who will…

Answer 23

respond with comforting ‘social suppressor’ behaviour

Question 24

Operant conditioning between a caregiver and infant when it cries is a one/two-way process

Answer 24

two-way

Question 25

How is operant conditioning between a caregiver and an infant when it cries a two-way process?

Answer 25

At the same time as the baby is reinforced for crying, the caregiver receives negative reinforcement because the crying stops

Question 26

Why is performing an action to stop a baby from crying an example of negative reinforcement?

Answer 26

The crying stops - escaping from something unpleasant is reinforcing.

Question 27

Interplay of mutual reinforcement between a caregiver and infant strengthens/weakens an attachment

Answer 27

strengthens

Question 28

As well as conditioning, learning theory draws on the concept of _____ _________

Answer 28

drive reduction

Question 29

Hunger can be thought of as a primary/secondary drive

Answer 29

primary

Question 30

Why can hunger be thought of as a primary drive?

Answer 30

It’s an innate, biological motivator

Question 31

We are motivated to eat in order to reduce…

Answer 31

the hunger drive

Question 32

Sears et al. (1957) suggested that, as caregivers provide food, the primary drive of hunger becomes…

Answer 32

generalised to them

Question 33

Why is attachment a secondary drive according to Sears et al. (1957)?

Answer 33

It is learned in association between the caregiver and the satisfaction of a primary drive

Question 34

One limitation of ________ theory explanations for attachment is lack of support from studies conducted on animals

Answer 34

animals

Question 35

True/False: Lorenz’s geese imprinted on the first moving object they saw regardless of whether this object was associated with food

Answer 35

True

Question 36

True/False: There is support for the importance of food within Harlow’s research with monkeys

Answer 36

False, there isn’t

Question 37

When given a choice, which ‘mother’ did Harlow’s monkeys display attachment behaviour towards?

Answer 37

A soft surrogate ‘mother’ in preference to a wire one which provided milk

Question 38

Counter-evidence from animal studies shows that factors other than association with ____ are important in the formation of attachments

Answer 38

food

Question 39

One limitation of ________ theory explanations for attachment is lack of support from studies of human babies

Answer 39

learning

Question 40

Schaffer and Emerson (1964) found that babies tended to form their main attachment to who regardless of whether they were the one who usually fed them?

Answer 40

Their mother

Question 41

Schaffer and Emerson (1964) found that babies tended to form their main attachment to their mother regardless of…

Answer 41

whether they were the one who usually fed them

Question 42

Isabella et al. (1989) found that high levels of what predicted the quality of attachment?

Answer 42

Interactional synchrony

Question 43

True/False: Interactional synchrony is related to feeding

Answer 43

False

Question 44

Counter-evidence to learning theory from studies on humans suggest what about formation of human attachments?

Answer 44

Food is not the main factor

Question 45

One strength of learning theory is that elements of ___________ could be involved in some aspects of attachment

Answer 45

conditioning

Question 46

It seems unlikely that association with food plays a central role in attachment, but ___________ may still play a role

Answer 46

conditioning

Question 47

A baby may associate feeling warm and comfortable with the presence of a particular adult, and this may influence the baby’s choice of…

Answer 47

their main attachment figure

Question 48

The fact that a baby may associate feeling warm and comfortable with the presence of a particular adult and this may influence the baby’s choice of their main attachment figure means that…

Answer 48

learning theory m ay still be useful in understanding the development of attachments

Question 49

Both classical and operant conditioning explanations see the baby playing a relatively active/passive role in attachment development

Answer 49

passive

Question 50

Why do classical and operant conditioning explanations see the baby playing a relatively passive role in attachment development?

Answer 50

The baby is simply responding to associations with comfort or reward

Question 51

Feldman and Eidelman (2007)’s research shows that babies take a very active/passive role in the interactions that produce attachment

Answer 51

active

Question 52

Feldman and Eidelman (2007)’s counter-evidence shows that babies take a very active role in interactions that produce attachment instead of a passive one like operant and classical conditioning explanations suggest. This means that conditioning may…

Answer 52

not be an adequate explanation of any aspect of attachment

Question 53

Hay and Vespo (1988) suggest that parents teach children to love them by…

Answer 53

demonstrating (modelling) attachment behaviours

Question 54

Hay and Vespo (1988) suggest that parents teach children to love them by demonstrating (modelling) attachment behaviours such as…

Answer 54

hugging

Question 55

Hay and Vespo (1988) suggest that parents reinforce loving behaviour by showing ________ when babies display their own attachment behaviours

Answer 55

approval

Question 56

Hay and Vespo (1988) have a perspective of attachment based on which approach?

Answer 56

Social learning theory

Question 57

What is an advantage of Hay and Vespo (1988)’s social learning perspective of attachment

Answer 57

It is based around two-way interaction between baby and adult, so it fits better with research into the importance of reciprocity