Explanations of attachment: Learning theory Flashcards
What did Dollard and Miller suggest about the learning theory of attachment?
Importance of food (cupboard love)
What are the main prediction made in the learning theory?
- The child will form attachments based on feeding
- Attachment behaviour should increase steadily from birth
- The strongest attachments will be with those who feed the child the most
Give an example of a classical conditioning experiment
Pavlov’s dogs
What does operant conditioning suggest about about babies crying?
Crying leads to a response from a caregiver
- Correct response will be reinforced so to produce a pleasurable response
What does the learning theory say hunger and attachment are?
Hunger - primary drive (innate biological motivator for babies)
Attachment - secondary drive that children learn through association
Does Lorenz’s imprinted geese’s support or limit the learning theory
Limits - as imprinted attachment regardless of food
Does Harlow’s monkeys support or limit the learning theory?
Limits - monkeys preferred comfort over food
What conflicting evidence did Schaffer and Emerson find?
Food does not show to be an important factor as primary attachment was not formed with those who fed them the most frequently.
What is the Learning theory?
A behavioural explanation; learning theory focuses solely on behaviour - what people do rather than what they might be thinking. Behaviourists suggest all behaviour and so attachment can be explained using the concepts of classical conditioning and operant conditioning.
What is classical conditioning?
A theory attachment that is formed partly due to learning through association
What is operant conditioning?
All humans possess primary motives or drives and anything satisfying these drives are primary reinforcers and are positively reinforcing it.
Why are the learning theory reductionist?
As they ignore other factors such as temperament or attachments developing due to high quality of reciprocity
