Learning Theory

• Learning Theory proposes that attachment is a learned behavior through classical and operant conditioning
• Schaffer and Emerson found that infants did not always have a primary attachment to the person who fed them, contradicting the Learning Theory
• Outline the learning theory explanation of attachment.

  Through classical conditioning, attachment can start through a child learning to associate a mother with food (which brings pleasure to the child). Through operant conditioning, this association can be strengthened.

  By positive reinforcement - when a baby cries the mother feeds it, so the crying behaviour is reinforced.

  By negative reinforcement - the baby stops crying when the mother feeds it, so the mother continues to feed it to prevent it from crying
• What is the learning theory of attachment?

  • Attachment is not innate
  • Attachment is learned
  • Attachment depends on who feeds the baby i.e. 'cupboard love'
• 𝘿𝙍𝙄𝙑𝙀𝙎:

  • A primary drive is something the infant needs, biologically, to survive, such as food
  • A secondary drive is a stimulus that reinforces behaviour after it has been associated with the primary drive
  • In this case, food is the primary reinforcer and the PCG is the secondary drive as they provide the food
  • The attachment begins when the infant forgets about the primary drive and looks for the secondary drive - the PCG
• Animal studies (Harlow and Lorenz) do not support learning theory explanations:

  • The goslings in Lorenz imprint within minutes of being born so have no time to learn
  • Harlow's monkeys prefer the cloth mother that provides comfort to the mother that provides food
  • In both studies, food is not the primary reason for attachment
• The learning theory is highly reductionist in only looking at food as the main drive behind attachment
• The learning theory could be said to be over-simplistic in ignoring reciprocity, sensitivity and innate qualities that may also be factors
• 𝘾𝙇𝘼𝙎𝙎𝙄𝘾𝘼𝙇 𝘾𝙊𝙉𝘿𝙄𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉𝙄𝙉𝙂:

  • The infant is hungry and this is not a comfortable feeling so they crave food
  • The food is the US
  • The food gives the infant pleasure so pleasure is the UR
  • The Primary Care Giver (PCG) provides the food and, to start with, is the NS
  • When the infant has been fed several times by the PCG, they begin to associate the PCG with food
  • The PCG is now the CS and the CR is pleasure
  • The attachment has begun as the infant wants the PCG around, not due to food anymore, but because they like having them around