Learning Theory - explanations of attachment (AO1) Flashcards
What is the main assumption behind the learning theory of attachment?
that children learn to become attached to their caregiver because they provide them with food - ‘cupboard love’ theory
What can learning cupboard be due to?
associations being made between different stimuli (classical conditioning)
or
patterns of reinforcement and punishment (operant conditioning)
What is the classical conditioning explanation of attachment in summary?
attachment develops because the infant learns to associate the mother/caregiver with food and a sense of pleasure
What is the detailed explanation of classical conditioning in attachment?
Before Conditioning:
NS (mother) = no response
UCS (food) = UCR (pleasure)
During Conditioning:
NS (mother) + UCS (food) = UCR (pleasure)
After Conditioning:
CS (mother) = CR (pleasure)
What is the operant conditioning explanation of attachment?
Dollard and Miller (1950) suggested that hunger makes the infant feel uncomfortable and prompts drive to reduce the discomfort
food reduces the discomfort and is therefore rewarding via negative reinforcement
food is the primary reinforcer as it directly satisfies hunger and provides a reward in itself
the caregiver is a secondary reinforcer as he/she is associated with the primary reinforcer (food)
by associating the caregiver with food (and reducing uncomfortable feelings of hunger) this results in the infant becoming attached to the person who provides the reinforcement
What is the cycle of operant conditioning as an explanation for attachment?
positive reinforcement (infant):
child’s behaviours, e.g. crying, that produces a reward of food or comfort from the caregiver will be repeated
negative reinforcement (caregiver):
caregiver providing food or comfort stops a child crying which takes away the unpleasant crying noise
negative reinforcement (infant):
when a caregiver provides food it takes away the unpleasant feeling of hunger
Does Schaffer & Emerson’s research agree with the learning theory of attachment?
NO
39% of first attachments not to the person that fed them or spent the most time with them
sensitive responsiveness is the key factor in attachment formation
Does Lorenz’s research agree with the learning theory of attachment?
NO
innate drive to attach to first large moving object (imprinting)
attachment is biological (innate) process - not learnt through the environment
Does Harlow’s research agree with the learning theory of attachment?
NO
monkeys spend more time on cloth mother compared to wire mother that fed them
+ also went to the cloth mother when scared
contact comfort is the key factor in attachment formation
