Social Learning Theory

Question 1

Whose theory is cupboard love?

Answer 1

Dollard and Miller

Question 2

Describe the classical conditioning explanation of cupboard love

Answer 2

Food = unconditioned stimulus
Pleasure = unconditioned response
Caregiver = neutral stimulus

Over time caregiver becomes conditioned stimulus and sight of them induces pleasure which is a conditioned response.

Question 3

Describe operant conditioning in terms of attachment

Answer 3

A crying child positively reinforced for child and negatively reinforced for mothers

Crying leads to a response from the caregiver eg. Food

Question 4

Describe how attatchment is a secondary drive

Answer 4

Hunger= primary drive as it is innate.

Sears et al: as a caregiver provides food the primary hunger drive generalised to them. Attachment therefore secondary drive learnt through association.

Question 5

Evidence from animal studies as a limitation. (AO3)

Answer 5

Lorenz and Harlow
Contact comfort more important than feeding
Attachment does not form as a result of feeding must be true for humans as learning theorists say they are the same lol

Question 6

What does human research show (limitation) (AO3)

Answer 6

Research with human infants shows attachment does not form from feeding

Schaffer and Emerson’s: babies formed primary attachment with mother even if other parent did feeding

Question 7

Learning theory ignores other factors (AO3)

Answer 7

Cannot account for importance for reciprocity and interactional synchrony (Isabella et al)

If attachment just down to feeding there would be no need for complex interactions