The Learning Theory

• Learning Theory: Assumptions

  Dollard and Miller proposed that caregiver infant attachment can be explained by the learning- explaining the process of 'cupboard love' which emphasizes the importance of the attachment figure as a provider of food- children then learn to love whoever feeds them.
• Classical Conditioning:

  Involves learning to associate two stimuli together, so that they both produce the same response on their own. Food acts as an unconditioned stimulus, as being fed gives innate pleasure (unconditioned response). The caregiver begins as a neutral stimulus, but over time they become associated with food- making them a conditioned stimulus. Learning theorists then consider the conditioned pleasure response as love.
• Operant Conditioning:

  Involves learning from the consequences of the behaviour- either reinforcement or punishment (reduces the likelihood of the behaviour being repeated). OC occurs when babies cry for comfort, helping to build their attachment- crying leads to a response from the caregiver (feeding), and if this is the correct response then the behaviour is reinforced. The cargiver responding to the behaviour is negative reinforcement as escaping from the crying is reinforcing. The interplay of mutual reinforcement strengthens an attachment.
• Attachment as a Secondary Drive:

  As well as conditioning, the learning theory looks at drive reduction- hunger can be viewed as a primary drive; it is an innate biological motivator as we are motivated to eat to reduce the hunger drive. Sears et al suggested that as caregivers provide food, the primary drive for hunger is then generalised to them- attachment is thus a secondary drive which is learned in association between the caregiver and satisfaction of primary drive.
• AO3: Counter-evidence from Animal Studies

  Lorenz's geese imprinted on the first object that they saw, regardless of if the object was associated with food. Harlow's research with monkeys shows no support for the importance of food- when given the choice, monkeys displayed attachment behaviour towards a soft surrogate mother in preference to the wire mother which provided milk. Showing that factors other than food are important in attachment formation. Though there are issues with generalisability.
• AO3: Counter-evidence from Studies on Humans

  Research from Schafer and Emerson found that babies tended to form an attachment to their mother regardless of whether she was the one that usually fed them. Isabella et al found that levels of interactional synchrony were predictive of high quality attachments, a factor which isn't related to feeding. Suggesting that food isn't the main basis for the formation of human attachments.
• AO3: Some Conditioning may be Involved

  A strength is that some elements of conditioning could be involved in some aspects of attachment. E.g. a baby may associate feeling warm and comfortable with the presence of a particular adult, which could then influence their choice of the main attachment figure. This then means that conditioning may be useful in understanding the development of attachments.
• AO3: Counterpoint to Conditioning

  Both classical and operant conditioning see the baby as taking a passive role, simply responding to associations with comfort or reward. IDA- Environmental Determinism. Though research has shown that babies do take an active role in interactions which reproduce attachment; Feldman and Eidelman. Hence conditioning may not be an adequate explanation for aspects of attachment.
• AO3: Social Learning Theory

  Hay and Vespo suggest that parents teach children to love by demonstrating (modelling) attachment behaviours; e.g. hugging. Parents reinforce loving behaviours by showing approval when babies display their own attachment behaviours; e.g. giving attention and cuddling their parents. The SLT perspective then demonstrates reciprocal determinism, a two-way interaction, fitting into research of reciprocity.
• AO3: Issues & Debates

  Nomothetic- due to the Learning Theory adhering to the features of science (testable hypothesis, empirical and objective) through analysing observable behaviour, it means the laws generated have been tested thoroughly and it makes the principles more generalisable.

  Nature Vs Nurture- seeing nurture as essential in the formation of attachments.

  Ethics- Socially sensitive, devalues a mother's attachment to their infant, seeing it as a secondary drive.