learning theory- explanation for attachment

• What does learning theory propose about attachment?

  Attachment is a learned process brought about by classical and operant conditioning.
• Why is learning theory sometimes referred to as the "cupboard love" approach?

  Because it suggests that children attach to the person who feeds them.
• What are the key assumptions of learning theory regarding attachment?

  • Attachment is a learned process.
  • It is brought about by classical and operant conditioning
  • Children attach to the person who feeds them (cupboard love approach).
• classical conditioning key assumptions for attachment

  • believes that attachment is a conditional response
  • classical conditioning is a form of association learning involving reflexive behaviour (discovered by Pavlov)
• How does attachments form-classical conditioning

  • The association of food (UCS) that naturally causes comfort, paired with a neutral stimulus (the PCG)- after repeating the pairings
  • this leads to the PCG becoming a conditional stimulus (CS) that generates comfort (CR) even in the absence of food
  • the attachment is now in place
• key assumptions- operant conditioning (OC) for attachments

  • OC is a form of learning that involves voluntary acts (OC is described by Skinner)
  • it believes that behaviours are influenced by the consequences of the act, if the consequence is good the action will be repeated
• what’s a strength of the learning approach for attachment?

  elements of conditioning could be involved in attachment

  > conditioning could explain the acquisition of many behaviour patterns

  > may be an association between the caregiver and comfort - and social interactions can be what builds the attachment
• what’s a strength of the learning theory of attachment?

  Hay and vespo

  > have applied social learning theory to understand attachment

  > they suggested that parents teach their children to love them

  > they said that children observe their parents affectionate behaviour and then imitate this

  > they also said that parents would deliberately instruct their child about how to behave in relationships + they would reward appropriate attachment behaviours (e.g. hugs and kisses)
• what’s a limitation of the learning theory for attachment?

  counter evidence from animal research

  > lorenz- geese imprinted on lorenz before they were fed and maintained that attachment regardless of who fed them

  > harlow- baby monkeys cuddled soft cloth surrogate in preference to hard cloth surrogate (found comfort in soft cloth surrogate) regardless of which surrogate fed them
• what’s a limitation of the learning theory for attachment?

  learning theory ignores other factors associated with forming attachments

  > the quality of attachments is associated with reciprocity and interactional synchrony

  > the best quality attachments is a result of sensitive responsiveness from carers, which is not a result of feeding. it’s a result of the PCG responding appropriately and constantly to baby signals
• what’s a limitation of the learning theory of attachment?

  there’s a competing theory that’s better supported for the formation of attachments (bowlbys monotropic theory)