learning theory of attachment

Question 1

what do the people dem believe about attachment

Answer 1

• learnt through classical and / or operant conditioning

Question 2

what is operant conditioning

Answer 2

• learning by consequences

-

Question 3

what is classical conditioning

Answer 3

• learning by association
• involves baby associating their caregiver with food
• caregiver starts a neutral stimuli, but overtime they provide food, unconditional stimuli), baby feels comfort and happiness around them, caregiver turns in unconditional stimulus, leading to attachment

Question 4

libation of learning theory

Answer 4

P - over emphasising the role of feeling in forming attachments

E - Harlows experiment with monkeys showed that they preferred soft, comforting surrogate mother rather than wire mother that gave food

E- shows that comfort and security is more important in forming attachments than food

L. - meaning the theory does take into account the emotional needs in attachment, meaning it’s incomplete

Question 5

limiation of learning theory 2

Answer 5

P - theory doesn’t properly explain how human attachment develops

E - Schaffer and Emerson found that babies often form strong attachments with caregivers who dont feed them e.g fathers

E - meaning that other factors e.g emotional support, interaction, play a more important role than just feeding

L- shows that learning theory too simplistic to explain how human attachments form