Learning Theory Flashcards
What psychological approach is learning theory derived from?
What is another name for ‘Learning Theory’?
What does Learnig Theory suggest that attachment is solely based off of?
Explain how Classical Conditioning can lead to the formation of an attachment?
-Food is an unconditioned stimulus which is associated with pleasure- the unconditioned response
-To begin with, the mother is a neutral stimulus so does not elicit a response from the infant.
-Over time, the mother regularly feeds her child so becomes associated with food
-This causes her to become the conditioned stimulus which evokes pleasure (the conditioned
response) without food being present
What are the UCS, UCR, NS, CS ,CR for attachment?
UCS-food
UCR- pleasure
NS- caregiver
CS- caregiver
CR- pleasure
Explain how Operant Conditioning can lead to the formation of an attachment?
-When a baby is hungry, they are uncomfortable and enter a ‘drove state’ to reduce their discomfort
-Being fed reduces the drive state and produces pleasure which is a reward. Hunger and the care-
giver act as reinforcers.
-The infant therefore learns that crying produces a response from adults- this is an example of
positive reinforcement
-The adult then learns that responding to cries brings relief from the noise- this is an example of negative reinforcement.
Who is being positively reinforced in the operant conditioning explanation of attachment?
The infant
Who is being negatively reinforced in the operant conditioning explanation of attachment?
The adult/ caregiver
What is the strength of the learning theory explanation of attachment?
-elements of
conditioning could be
involved in some aspects of
attachment.
What are the limitations of the learning theory explanation of attachment?
-counter evidence
from studies conducted on
animals.
-lack of support from studies of
human babies.
-counterpoint for the strength that conditioning could still be an aspect of attachment
Explain the limitation of learning theory explanation that: there is lack of support from studies of
human babies.
-E.g Schaffer and Emerson (1964) found that babies
tended toform their main attachment to their mother regardless of whether she was the one who usually fed them.
-In another study, Isabella et al. (1989) found that high levels of interactional synchrony predicted the quality of attachment.
-These factors are not related to feeding.
-This suggests that food is not the main factor in the formation of human attachments.
Explain the limitation of learning theory explanation that: there is counter evidence from studies conducted on animals.
-Lorenz’s geese imprinted on the first moving object they even if this object was not associated with food.
-Harlow’s research with monkeys also does not support the importance of food. When given a choice, Harlow’s monkeys displayed attachment behaviour towards a soft surrogate ‘mother’ over a wire one which provided milk.
-This shows that factors other than association with food are important in the formation of attachments, such as contact comfort.
Explain the counterpoint for the idea that conditioning could still explain an aspect of attachment
-Both classical and operant conditioning explanations see
the baby as being relatively passive in attachment
development, only responding to associations with comfort
or reward.
-Research shows that babies take a very active role in the interactions that produce attachment.
-This means that conditioning may not be an adequate explanation of any aspect of attachment.
Explain the strength of learning theory explanation that: elements of conditioning could be involved in some aspects of
attachment.
-It is unlikely that association with food plays a central role
in attachment, but conditioning may still play a role.
-For example, a baby may associate feeling warmth with the presence of a particular adult, which may influence the baby’s choice of their main attachment figure.
-This means that learning theory may still be useful in understanding the development of attachments.
