Learning Theory ATTACHMENT

• Learning theory 


  Dollars and Miller proposed care giver infant interactions can be explained by learning theory. This approach is sometimes called cupboard love approach because it emphasises importance of attachment figure as provider of food.
• Classical conditioning 


  This involves learning to associate two stimuli together so that we begin to respond to one in the same way we respond to the other.

  In case of attachment:

  food is the unconditioned stimulus because it gives us pleasure

  A caregiver starts as neutral stimulus, something that produces no response

  However when caregiver provided food over a long period they become associated with food , the neutral stimulus has now become the conditioned stimulus

  No that baby has made mother conditioned stimulus mothers tends to produce a conditioned response e.g. love
• Operant conditioning 


  It is the consequences of behaviour

  If a behaviour produces a pleasant consequence it is likely to be repeated this is called reinforcement

  If a behaviour produces an unpleasant response like punishment it is unlikely unlikely be repeated

  Operant conditioning can explain why a baby cryies for comfort

  Crying leads to a response from caregiver for example feeding as long as caregiver gives food crying is reinforced
• Attachment as a secondary drive

  Hunger is a primary drive its an innate biological motivator therefore attachment is the secondary drive learned by an association between caregiver and satisfaction of a primary drive
• Evaluation of learning theory

  A limitation is that there is a lack of support from studies conducted on animals. For example .orenz showed that geese imprint om first moving thing not food.Also in harlows research there is no support for importance of food. This shows factors other than Association with food are important in formation of attachment
• Evaluation for learning theory

  Another limitation is that there is lack of support from human babies. For example schaffer and Emerson found babies tend to form attachmen to their mother regardless of whether she was the one who fed them. Another research in intera tonal synchrony predicted the quality of attachment. This again suggests food is not main factor in human attachment
• Evaluation for learning theory

  A strength is that elements of conditioning could he involved in some aspects of attachment. It's unlikely Association of food plays a central role in attachment ut conditioning may still play a role. For example, a baby may feel comfortable in the presence of a particular adult which could influence baby's choice of their main attachment figure