learning theory

Question 1

Learning theory

Answer 1

Infants learn attachment through classical or operant conditioning
Also called “cupboard love” theory due to focus on food
Classical conditioning is learning by association
Operant conditioning proposes that infants seek the caregiver who can supply the reward

Question 2

Classical conditioning

Answer 2

Food is unconditioned stimulus (UCS) that produces unconditioned response (UCR) of pleasure
Caregiver is neutral stimulus (NS) who produces no conditioned response
Child associates caregiver (NS) who feeds them with food (UCS)
Caregiver becomes conditioned stimulus (CS) associated with pleasure from feeding
Caregiver elicits conditioned response from child and attachment is formed

Question 3

Operant conditioning

Answer 3

Infant cries when hungry to receive comfort from caregiver
Caregiver providing food produces pleasure and is rewarding
Attachment forms because infant seeks caregiver who can supply reward

Question 4

Counterargument Harlow and Schaffer and Emerson

Answer 4

Harlow’s research found that baby monkeys spent more time with soft toweled monkey that provided no food compared to wire monkey that provided food, suggesting attachment is not based on presence of food alone and preference for contact comfort

Schaffer & Emmerson’s research demonstrated that infants formed attachments to their mothers despite being fed by other carers

Question 5

Methodological issues

Answer 5

Research evidence criticized for over-reliance on animal studies
Behaviorist explanations provide an oversimplified account of attachment formation, which is a complex emotional bond between a human infant and their caregiver
Learning theory explanation may lack validity as it is difficult to generalize animal findings to humans with confidence that they would behave the same way

Question 6

Alternative theory

Answer 6

Bowlby’s theory proposes infants have an innate readiness to form an attachment to their caregiver during the critical period to protect them from harm while they are young and vulnerable
Evolutionary perspective explains how and why attachment forms to enhance survival
Bowlby’s theory provides a more comprehensive explanation of attachment rather than reducing a complex behavior to a simple stimulus-response association

Question 7

Criticism of learning theory

Answer 7

Supports a nurture-based view of behavior
Reductionist (environmental) as it reduces a complex behavior, the formation of an attachment between infants and their caregivers, to a simple stimulus-response association