explanations of attachment - learning theory Flashcards
learning theory definition
a set of theories from the behaviourist approach to psychology, that emphasise the role of learning in the acquisition of behvaiour. explanations for learning pf behvaiour include classical and operant conditioning
classical conditioning of attachment - before conditioning
unconditioned stimulus (food) –> unconditioned response (pleasure)
neutral stimulus (caregiver) –> no response
classical conditioning of attachment - during conditioning
unconditioned stimulus (food) + neutral stimulus (food) –> unconditioned response (pleasure)
classical conditioning of attachment - after conditioning
conditioned stimulus (caregiver) –> conditioned response (pleasure)
who proposed that caregiver-infant interaction can be explained by learning theory
learning theorists Dollard and Miller
when did Dollard and Miller propose that caregiver-infant interaction can be explained by learning theory
1950
what is Dollard and Miller learning-theory sometimes called
cupboard love approach
why is Dollard and Miller learning-theory sometimes called cupboard love approach
emphasises the importance of the attachment figure as the provider of food (the child loves whoever feeds them)
what is classical conditioning
learning to associate 2 stimuli together so that we begin to respond to one in the same way as we already respond to the other
what is the unconditioned stimulus in attachment
food as being fed gives us pleasure
what is the unconditioned response
pleasure as we don’t have to learn that response
what is the neutral stimulus
the caregiver as produces no response
what is the conditioned stimulus
caregiver as when the caregiver provides food over time they become associated with food. when the baby sees this person there is an expectation of food so the neutral stimulus has become the conditioned stimulus
when does the conditioned response occur
once the conditioning has taken place
what its the conditioned response
pleasure
what is the conditioned pleasure to a learning theorist
love showing an attachment is formed and the caregiver becomes an attachment figure
what is operant conditioning
learning through consequences of behvaiour. if the behaviour produces a pleasant consequence, the behaviour is more likely to be repeated again, so behaviour is said to be reinforced. if the behaviour produces as unpleasant consequence (punishment) it is less likely to be repeated
what can operant conditioning be used to explain
why babies cry for comfort - an important behaviour in building attachment
crying as operant conditioning
crying leads to a response from the caregiver for example feeding. as long as the caregiver provides the correct response, crying is reinforced. the baby then directs crying for comfort towards the caregiver who responds with comforting social suppressor behaviour
operant conditioning as reinforcement
two-way process. at the same time the baby is reinforced for crying, the caregiver receives negative reinforcement as the crying stops (escaping something negative). the interplay of mutual reinforcement strengthens an attachment
what concept does learning theory focus on
drive reduction
what is the primary and secondary drive
primary - hunger
secondary - attachment
how is hunger the primary drive of attachment
its innate and a biological motivator, we are motivated to eat in order to reduce hunger drive
who suggested attachment is a secondary drive
Sears et al 1957
attachment as a secondary drive
as caregivers provide food, the primary drive of hunger becomes generalised to them. attachment is thus a secondary drive learned by an association between the caregiver and satisfaction of a primary drive
limitation of learning theory as an explanation of attachment - counter-evidence from animal studies
-learning theory explanations for attachment has a lack of support from animal studies
-Lorenz’z geese imprinted on the first moving object they saw regardless of if the object was associated with food. also, Harlow’s research with monkeys has no support for the importance of food. when given a choice, Harlow’s monkeys displayed attachment behaviours towards a soft surrogate mother in preference to the wire one which provided milk –> shows factors other than association with food are important in formation of attachments
limitation of learning theory as an explanation of attachment - counter-evidence form studies on humans
-learning theory explanations is a lack of support from studies in human babies
-Schaffer and Emerson 1964 found that babies tended to form their main attachments to their mother regardless of whether she was the one who usually fed them. Isabella et al 1989 found that high levels of international synchrony predicted the quality of the attachment which is not related to feeding –> suggests food is not the main factor in formation of human attachments
strength of learning theory as an explanation of attachment - some conditioning may be involved
-strength of learning theory is that elements of conditioning could be involved in some aspects of attachment
-it seems unlikely that association with food plays a central role in attachment, but conditioning may still play a role. for example a baby may associate feeling warm and comfortable with the presence of a particular adult which may influence child choice of main attachment figure –> learning theory may still be useful in understanding the development if attachments
limitation of learning theory as an explanation of attachment - counterpoint to some conditioning may be involved
-both classical and operant conditioning explanations see the baby playing a passive role in attachment development, simply responding to associations with comfort or reward. in fact research shows babies take a very active role in interactions that produce attachment (such as Feldman and Eidelman 2007) –> means that conditioning may be not an adequate explanation of any aspect of attachment
evaluation of learning theory as an explanation of attachment - social learning theory
-Hay and Vespo 1988 suggest parents teach children to love them by demonstrating (modelling) attachment behaviours for example hugging. parents also reinforce loving behaviour by showing approval when babies display their own attachment behaviours such as giving attention or cuddles to their parents
-the social learning perspective has the further advantage that it is based around the 2-way interaction between baby and adult, so it fits better with research into the importance of reciprocity
