Learning theory Flashcards
What can it be criticised for?
Environmental reductionism
Why is the theory environmentally reductionist?
Reduces complex human behaviour of attachment down to simple basic units of learning to attach through stimulus, response and association
Why does reductionism neglect?
A holistic approach which would take into account how a person’s culture and social context would influence and explain attachment e.g collectivist cultures families work together, may form multiple attachments - meaning it may lack validity
Who was RTC conducted by?
Harlow
What did Harlow find?
Monkey’s spent more time with the surrogate mother who provided them with comfort rather than the surrogate mother who provided them with food meaning the same must be true for humans as learning theorists believed that animals and humans are equivalent
Who else conducted RTC?
Schaffer and Emerson
What did Schaffer and Emerson find?
That infants tended to form attachment to their mother regardless of whether she was the one who usually fed them, attachment was more due to responding to infants signals and interacting with them
