Learning theory Flashcards
From a behaviourist perspective, why do attachment occur?
Behaviourists believe attachment occur as an incidental by-product of the infant having it’s physiological needs met.
It values food and therefore learns to value the source of food, which is the attachment figure.
From a behaviourist perspective, do attachments serve a purpose?
Behaviourists believe that attachments do not serve a purpose as they are simply an incidental by-product of being fed.
From a behaviourist perspective, how do attachments occur?
Behaviourists believe that attachments occur through classical conditioning which is when a new behaviour is learnt through classical conditioning which is when a new behaviour is learnt through the process of association.
Additionally, they believe that attachments occur through operant conditioning which involves a method of learning that occurs through rewards and punishments for behaviour.
What type of theory is the learning theory?
NURTURE
From an behaviourist perspective, who will an infant form an attachment to?
Behavioruists believe that infants will form an attachment to anyone or anything that feeds them.
From a behaviourist persoective does it matter if an attachment doesn’t form?
No!
Research that detracts from the learning theory
HARLOWS STUDY DETRACTS FROM THE LEARNING THEORY - as the learning theory states that infants will form an attachment to ‘anything or anyone that feeds them’ however when the monkeys were scared by a mechanical toy all of the monkeys, including those who were fed by the wire mother, ran to the cloth mother for comfort. This therefore detracts from the learning theory as it states that infants value food and therfore learn to value the soruce of food which is the mother however this research suggests otherwise. Additionally Harlow found that the infants preffered to spend time with the cloth mother even if the wire mother fed them, suggesting that comfort is more significant than food, which detratcs form the behaviourists approach that infants will only attach to the figure who feeds them.
Research that detracts from the learning theory
Schaffer and Emerson studied 60 babies over a period of 18 months and found that babies were clearly attached to people who weren’t involved in their physical care. They found that in 39 percent of cases the mother WASN’T the infants main attachment figure. This therefore suggest that even though the mother fed and predominantly cared for the infant, a significant proportion of them were attached to their fathers and grandparents who played a minor role in the care of the child. This therefore detracts from the learning theory as it states that infants form attachments to anything or anyone that feeds them, however this research suggest otherwise.
Reasons to detract from the learning theory:
The research conducted on the learning theory is largely based on non-human animals such as Lorenz study of the ducklings and imprinting. Therefore we cannot be certain that the evidence and conclusions drawn can be generalised to humans.
