The Learning Theory

Question 1

What role does operant conditioning play in attachment?

Answer 1

• crying in babies results in a response in a caregiver such as feeding which positively reinforces this behaviour
• negative reinforcement occurs for the caregiver as they recieve pleasure when crying stops
• the mutual reinforcement builds an attachment

Question 2

How is classical conditioning associated with attachment?

Answer 2

• A caregiver begins as a neutral stimulus
  -When they give the infant food overtime they become associated with food, becoming a conditioned stimulus which causes the sight of a primary caregiver to produce a conditioned response of pleasure

Question 3

Give two weaknesses of the learning theory

Answer 3

Limitations = counter evidence from animal studies such as Harlow and Lorenz as although the wired monkey provided food, they were still attached to the cloth monkey. This shows that there are other important factors in attachment than food

Limitations = schaffer and emerson found that primary attachment caregivers were often mother even if she didnt feed the infant which again suggests that food is not a main factor in building attachments

Question 4

How is attachment explained through primary drives?

Answer 4

• Sears suggests that when caregivers give infants food, they satisfy their primary drive
• this causes attachment to become a secondary drive due to the association of a caregiver and satisfaction of the primary drive

Question 5

What is the strength of the LT?

Answer 5

• conditioning plays a role in attachment as a baby can associate warmth and comfort with an adult, influencing their choice of their main attachment