Explanations of attachment: learning theory Flashcards
Explanations of attachment: learning theory
People
└Dollard and Miller (1950)
└cupboard love
Explanations of attachment: learning theory
Parts
Classical conditioning
Operand conditioning
Attachment as a secondary drive
Attachment
Classical conditioning
└food (UCS)→pleasure (UCR)
└caregiver (NS) + food (UCR) → pleasure (UCR)
└caregiver (CS) → pleasure (CR)
Attachment
Operant conditioning
└learning to repeat behaviour
└negative reinforcement: caregiver comforts baby so it stops crying
Attachment as a secondary drive
Person
Sears et al (1957)
Attachment as a secondary drive
└drive reduction
└hunger= primary drive- innate biological motivator
└Sears et al (1957)- caregivers provide food (primary drive) so become secondary drive by association
Explanations of attachment: learning theory
Strengths
Some elements of conditioning could be involved
└association (classical conditioning) between primary caregiver and comfort/social interaction builds attachment
Explanations of attachment: learning theory
Limitations
Summary
Counter evidence from animal research Harlow, Lorenz
Counter evidence from human research - Shaffer and Emerson
Learning theory ignores other factors associated with forming attachments - Isabella et al (1989)
Newer learning theory explanation - Dale Hay and Jo Vespo (1988)
Explanations of attachment: learning theory
Limitations
Counter evidence from animal research
└Harlow- animals didn’t attach to one that fed them
└Lorenz- geese attached to first moving thing regardless of food-maintained attachment
Explanations of attachment: learning theory
Limitations
Counter evidence from human research
└research with human infants shows feeding does not appear to be an important factor in humans
└Shaffer and Emerson
└many babies developed primary attachment with biological mother even though other carers did most the feeding
└problem for learning theory- feeding is not the key element to attachment
└there is no unconditional stimulus/primary drive involved
Explanations of attachment: learning theory
Limitations
Learning theory ignores other factors associated with forming attachments
└Isabella et al (1989)
└quality of attachment associated with factors like reciprocity and good interactional synchrony
└problem for cupboard love- if attachment developed primarily as a result of feeding, there would be no purpose for these complex interactions
└wouldn’t expect to find relationships between then and quality of infant-caregiver attachment
Explanations of attachment: learning theory
Limitations
Newer learning theory explanation
└Dale Hay and Jo Vespo (1988)
└newer explanation for infant-caregiver attachment based on social learning theory
└social behaviour acquired as a result of modelling and imitating behaviour (attachment behaviour like hugging them and other family members, rewarding them when they do)
