Explanations of attachment: The Learning theory Flashcards
What is the main assumption of the learning theory? Who was is proposed by?
Dollard and Miller
Children are born as ‘tabula rasa’ (blank slates)
All behaviour, including attachment, is learned through classical and operant conditioning; rather than being innate
Supports the nurture side of the nature-nurture debate as it assumes that our behaviour is shaped by our personal experiences rather than our genetic make-up and DNA
Define cupboard love. Whose conclusions does it contradict?
The learning theory emphasises the importance of the caregiver as a provider of food
This contradicts the conclusions made by Harlow as he suggested that contact comfort is more important than food when it comes to the formation of attachment
Define classical conditioning
Learning behaviour (including attachment behaviour) through association
Summarise how attachments are formed through classical conditioning
Before conditioning:
- Unconditioned stimulus (food) elicits unconditioned response (pleasure from baby)
During conditioning:
- Neutral stimulus (mother/primary caregiver) is paired with unconditioned stimulus (food) over a period of time to elicit unconditioned response (pleasure from baby)
After conditioning:
- Mother (NS) becomes conditioned stimulus after multiple pairings which elicits conditioned response of pleasure (no need for the UCS to be present)
Define operant conditioning
Maintaining behaviour (including attachment behaviour) and whether or not to repeat it via its consequences
What is the difference between positive and negative reinforcement?
PR: Adding something pleasant to encourage a desired behaviour
- E.g. when the baby cries it receives attention from the mother/caregiver, so the baby will cry more to receive more attention
NR: Removing something unpleasant to encourage a desired behaviour
- E.g. the mother’s behaviour to care for the child is reinforced because when she gives the child attention, the baby’s crying stops, so the unpleasant sound of crying is removed
Define drive reduction
The innate/biological desire to remove something unpleasant or to reduce any feelings of discomfort, which produces a feeling of pleasure which is rewarding
- E.g. the baby’s hunger is the source of discomfort. There is a ‘drive’ to reduce their discomfort by being fed so when they are fed the baby will feel pleasure (a reward) which acts as positive reinforcement. The food becomes their primary reinforcer (directly reinforces behaviour) because it supplies the reward of pleasure. The primary caregiver who supplies the food (and indirectly the feeling of pleasure) becomes the secondary reinforcer. Attachment forms because the baby seeks the person who can provide the reward
Outline three/four limitations of the learning theory
Contradictory research from animal studies
P: Contradictory evidence from animal research suggests contact comfort is important than cupboard love
Ev: Harlow conducted research on rhesus monkeys where they were taken from their natural mothers. They were put in a cage with a cloth covered surrogate mother which did not dispense milk and a wired surrogate mother which did dispense milk. The monkeys spent 18 hours a day with the cloth covered mother and only 1 hour a day with the wired mother.
Ex: Findings suggest contact comfort is more important than food for the formation of attachments because even though the wired surrogate mother dispensed milk for the monkey, the monkey still spent the majority of the day with the cloth covered surrogate mother as it provided the monkey with comfort
L: Therefore the key assumption of the learning theory may be wrong
Contradictory evidence from human studies
P: Learning theory has some explanatory power but is limited
Ev: Children do learn through association and reinforcement but food may not be the primary reinforcer. Schaffer and Emerson found that after 1 year of age the multiple attachment stage develops, by which 30% of infants had formed a secondary attachment with the father, but secondary attachments can also be to other people such as grandparents, siblings, etc.
Ex: This suggests that even though these people are not necessarily feeding the infant, they can still form an attachment to them by the multiple attachment stage
L: This questions the credibility of the learning theory as an explanation of attachment as it may not accurately reflect what drives and reinforces a baby’s behaviour as there may be another factor in play
Over-simplified explanation (reductionist)
P: Over-simplifying attachment in humans
Ev: Most research is conducted on animals as opposed to humans. Hay and Vespo believe that attachments are formed based on the Social Learning Theory (SLT) which states that behaviour (including attachment) is acquired as a result of modelling and imitation.
Ex: This means parents teach children to love them by modelling attachment behaviour (hugging) and then rewarding them with approval when they display attachment behaviour of their own (reinforcement)
L: This reduces the validity of the learning theory as an explanation for the formation of attachment
Ignores other factors
P: Evidence suggests that there are other factors associated with forming attachments which the learning theory fails to consider.
Ev: Isabella observed 30 mothers and infants together and assessed the degree of synchrony. They found that factors such as interactional synchrony and reciprocity were associated with better quality mother-infant attachment
Ex: Best quality attachments were with sensitive carers that pick up on infant signals and respond appropriately, but if feeding was the only reason attachment developed we would find no relationship between them these complex interactions and the quality of infant-caregiver attachments
L: Thus, reducing the validity of the learning theory as an explanation for the formation of attachment.
