Explanations of attachment: learning theory

• Dollard and Miller (1950) learning theory of attachment = Importance of food. Sometimes referred to as the ‘cupboard love‘ explanation because it emphasises the importance of food in attachment formation. Children learn to love whoever feeds them.
• Dollard and Miller (1950 learning theory of attachment figures = Role of classical conditioning. Classical conditioning involves learning to associate two stimuli. In attachment UCS (food) leads to UCR (a feeling of pleasure). This response is not learned so it is an unconditioned response (unlearned).
• Dollard and Miller learning theory of attachment = Baby learns that mother produces a sense of pleasure. A caregiver (e.g. mother) starts as NS, i.e. something that produces no response. However, when the caregiver provides food over time, he/she becomes associated with ‘food‘. So the neutral stimulus becomes a CS. Once conditioning has taken place the sight of the caregiver produces a CR of pleasure. According to a learning theorist, the conditioned pleasure response is the basis of love. Now an attachment has formed the caregiver = attachment figure.
• Learning theory of attachment = Role of operant conditioning. Operant conditioning explains why babies cry for comfort (an important building block for attachment). Crying leads to a response from the caregiver (e.g. feeding). As long as the caregiver provides the correct response, crying is reinforced because it produces a pleasurable consequence.
• Learning theory of attachment = negative reinforcement. At the same time the baby is reinforced for crying, the caregiver receives negative reinforcement because the crying stops (negative reinforcement is escaping from something unpleasant, which is reinforcing). this interplay of positive/negative reinforcement strengthens an attachment.
• Learning theory of attachment = drive reduction. hunger is a primary drive, an innate biological motivator. We are motivated to eat to reduce the hunger drive. attachment is a secondary drive learned by an association between the caregiver and the satisfaction of a primary drive. It has been suggested that as caregivers provide food, the primary drive of hunger becomes generalised to them.
• - of learning theory = counter-evidence from animal studies. Lorenz’s geese imprinted on the first moving object they saw. Harlow’s monkeys attached to a soft surrogate in preference to a wire one with milk. In both of these animal studys, imprinting/attachment didn’t develop as a result of feeding. showing that factors other than feeding are important in the attachment formation.
• - learning theory = counter evidence from human studies. Schaffer and Emerson show that for many babies their main attachment was not to the person who fed them. Also Isabella et al. Found that intersectional synchrony (unrelated to feeding) predicted attachment quality. suggesting that other factors are more important in attachment formation than feeding.
• + learning theory of attachment = some elements of conditioning could still be involved. it seems unlikely that association with food is central to attachment. However, conditioning may still play some role in attachment. E.g. a baby‘s choice of primary attachment figure may be determined by the fact that a caregiver becomes associated with warmth and comfort. meaning that conditioning could still be important in choice of attachment figures, though not the process of attachment formation.
• Some elements of conditioning could still be involved counterpoint = however, this point of view Ignores the fact that babies take a very active role in the interactions that produce attachment. E.g. they initiate interactions. suggesting that learning theory may be inappropriate in explaining any aspect of attachment .
• - learning theory of attachment = social learning theory. Hay and Vespo (1988) suggest that parents teach children to love them by Modeling attachment behaviour (hugging and kissing e.g.). Parents also reward babies with approval when they display their own attachment behaviour (e.g. that’s a lovely simile). meaning that social learning theory can provide better explanations including the active role taken by babies in attachment development.