explanations of attachment - learning theory

Question 1

dollard and miller (1950)

Answer 1

proposed that caregiver-infant attachment can be explained by learning theory.

this approach is sometimes called a ‘cupboard love’ approach because it emphasises the importance of the attachment figure as a provider of food.

put simply they proposed that children learn to love whoever feeds them!

Question 2

classical conditioning (1)

Answer 2

in case of attachment, food serves as an ucs. being fed gives us pleasure - we don’t have to learn that, it is an ucr.

a caregiver starts as a ns, i.e. something that produces no response.

however when the caregiver provides food over time they become associated with food. when the baby then sees this person there is an expectation of food.

Question 3

classical conditioning (2)

Answer 3

the ns has become a cs. once conditioning has taken place the sight of the caregiver produces a cr of pleasure.

to a learning theorist this conditioned pleasure response is love, i.e. an attachment is formed and the caregiver becomes an attachment figure.

Question 4

classical conditioning…

Answer 4

involves 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 5

operant conditioning (1)

Answer 5

operant conditioning involves learning from the consequences of behaviour. if a behaviour produces a pleasant consequence, that behaviour is likely to be repeated again. the behaviour is said to be reinforced.
if a behaviour produces an unpleasant consequence (punishment) it is less likely to be repeated.

Question 6

operant conditioning (2)

Answer 6

• operant conditioning can explain why babies cry for comfort - an important behaviour in attachment.
• crying leads to a response from the caregiver, for example feeding. as long as the caregiver provides the correct response, crying is reinforced.
• they baby then directs crying for comfort towards the caregiver who responds with comforting ‘social suppressor’ behaviour.

Question 7

operant conditioning (2)

Answer 7

the reinforcement is a two way process. at the same time as the baby is reinforced for crying, the caregiver receives negative reinforcement because crying stops - escaping from something unpleasant is reinforcing. this interplay of mutual reinforcement strengthens an attachment.

Question 8

attachment as a secondary drive

Answer 8

• as well as conditioning, learning theory draws on the concept of drive reduction.
• hunger can be thought of as a primary drive - it’s an innate, biological motivator. we are motivated to eat in order to reduce the hunger drive.
• robert sears et al (1957) suggested that, as caregivers provide food, the primary drive of hunger becomes generalised to them. attachment is thus a secondary drive learned by association between the caregiver and the satisfaction of a primary drive.