learning theory

Question 1

explanations of attachment

Answer 1

learning theory

Question 2

Dollard and Miller (1950)

Answer 2

• Proposed that caregiver-infant attachment can be explained by learning theory
• Emphasized the importance of the attachment figure as a provider of food

Question 3

classical conditioning

Answer 3

• Leaning to associate two stimuli together so that we begin to respond to one in the same way as we already respond to the other
• Food servers as an unconditioned stimulus
• A caregiver starts as a neutral stimulus – produces no response
• when caregiver provides food overtime they become associated with food so when the baby sees the caregiver there is an expectation of food – becomes a conditioned stimulus
• Once this has taken place caregiver produces a conditioned response of pleasure

Question 4

operant conditioning

Answer 4

• Learning from the consequences of behaviour
• If a behaviour produces a pleasant consequence the behaviour is likely to be repeated – said to be reinforced
• If behaviour produces a punishment it is less likely to be reinforced
• Explains why babies cry for comfort – leads to a response from the caregiver – as long as caregiver provides correct response crying is reinforced
• Reinforcement is a two way process

Question 5

drive reduction

Answer 5

• Hunger is a primary drive- it is innate, biological motivator
• Attachment is a secondary drive- infants cannot feed themselves, so rely on caregivers to feed them
• infant associates the caregiver with the relief of the primary drive of satisfying the hunger.

Question 6

evaluation

Answer 6

• counter-evidence from animal studies
• counter- evidence from studies on humans
• can provide an adequate explanation of how attachments form

Question 7

counter-evidence from animal studies

Answer 7

• Lack of support from studies conducted on animals
• Lorenz geese imprinted on the first moving object regardless of whether the object was associated with food
• Harlow – monkey displayed attachment to soft surrogate rather than one with milk
• Shows factors other than association with food are important in the formation of attachments

Question 8

counter-evidence from studies on humans

Answer 8

• Lack of support from studies of human babies
• Schaffer and Emerson found that babies tend to form their main attachment to their mother regardless of whether she was the one who usually fed them
• Isabella found that high levels of interactional synchrony predicted the quality of attachment not food
• Suggests that food is not the main factor in the formation of human attachments

Question 9

Can provide an adequate explanation of how attachments form

Answer 9

• We learn in a number of ways through association in real-life (associate certain situations with danger when we develop phobias)
• Little Albert- shows classical conditioning is the process by which we learn a variety of behaviours,
• when you combine a loud noise (unconditioned stimulus) with a rat (neutral stimulus) after much repetition it creates a conditioned response (fear of rat)
• Suggests learning theory may be at least play a part in attachment formation