Learning Theory And Attachment

Question 1

What is classical conditioning in terms of attachment?

Answer 1

• Learning through association.
• Pleasure of feeding becomes associated with the person who feeds the the infant and this person becomes a source of pleasure even when no feeding present.
• Food becomes the unconditioned stimulus.
• Being fed gives us the natural response of pleasure and that is the unconditioned response.
• A caregiver is a neutral stimulus.
• When the same person provides food over time and they become associated with food.
• When the baby sees this person there is an immediate expectation of food.
• Neutral stimulus has become a conditioned stimulus.
• Once conditioning has taken place the sight of the caregiver produces a conditioned response of pleasure.

Question 2

What is operant conditioning in terms of attachment?

Answer 2

• Involves learning to repeat behaviour or not depending on consequences.
• If a behaviour produces a pleasant consequence that behaviour is likely to be repeated again. It is reinforced.
• If a behaviour produces an unpleasant consequence it is less likely to be repeated.
• A hungry infant feels uncomfortable and this creates a drive to reduce discomfort.
• When the infant is fed the drive is reduced and the produces a sense of pleasure. Reward.
• Food is a primary reinforcer because it directly reduces discomfort.
• A person associated with avoiding discomfort becomes a secondary reinforcer and a source of reward.
• Attachment occurs because the infant seeks the person who can supply the reward.

Question 3

Attachment as a secondary drive

Answer 3

• Learning theory draws on the concept of drive reduction.
• Hunger can be though if as a primary drive. Innate, biological motivator.
• Motivated to eat to reduce our hunger drive.
• Sears et al suggested that as caregivers give the food, the primary dive of hunger is generalised to them.
• Attachment is a secondary drive learned by association between the caregiver and the satisfaction of a primary drive.

Question 4

Evaluation of learning theory of attachment - counter evidence from animal research

Answer 4

• animal studies has shown that young animals do not necessarily attach to or imprint on those who feed them.
• Lorenz’s geese imprinted before they were fed and kept these attachments regardless of who fed them. Harlow’s monkeys attached to a soft surrogate in preference to a wire one that dispensed milk.
• Weakness - shows that attachment does not develop as a result of feeding.

Question 5

Evaluation of learning theory of attachment - counter evidence from human research

Answer 5

• Feeding does not appear to be an important factor in humans.
• Schaffer and Emerson’s study, many of these babies developed a primary attachment to their biological mother even though other caters did most of the feeding.
• Weakness - findings show that feeding is not the key element to attachment and so there is no unconditioned stimulus or primary drive involved.

Question 6

Evaluation of learning theory of attachment - some elements of conditioning could still be involved

Answer 6

• We believe that many aspects of human development are affected by conditioning.
• Problem with learning theory is the idea that feeding provides the unconditioned stimulus, reinforcement or primary drive. Credible thst association between primary caregiver and the provision of comfort and social interaction is part of what builds attachment.
• Strength - some learning mechanisms in relation to attachment are still relevant.

Question 7

Evaluation of learning theory of attachment - a newer learning theory explanation

Answer 7

• SLT based on the idea that social behaviour is acquired as a result of modelling and imitation of behaviour. They suggested that parents teach children to live them by modelling attachment behaviour e.g by hugging them and other family members and instructing and rewarding them with approval when they display attachment behaviour if their own.
• weakness - may provide a more robust explanation for attachment