EXPLANATION OF ATTACHMENT: LEARNING THEORY

• LEARNING THEORY


  “All behaviour (e.g. formation of attachments) is acquired through experience (nurture), e.g. learning.  It has nothing to do with nature (biology or evolution).”

  1.Classical conditioning - association.

  2.Operant conditioning - consequences of actions.

  3.Social learning theory - observe & imitate.

  DOLLAR AND MILLER (1950) LEARNING THEORY OF ATTACHMENT
• Importance of food 


  This is sometimes called the ‘cupboard love’ explanation because it emphasises the importance of food in attachment formation. Children learn to love whoever feeds them.
• Role of classical conditioning

  Classical conditioning involves learning to associate 2 stimuli. In attachment:

  USC (food) leads to UCR (a feeling of pleasure). This response is not learned so it is an unconditioned response (unlearned).
• Baby learns that mother produces a sense of pleasure 


   

  A caregiver (e.g mother) starts as a NS (neutral stimuli) i.e something that produces no response. 

  However, when the caregiver provides food over time, he/she becomes associated with ‘food’. So the NS becomes a CS (conditioned stimuli).

  Once conditioning has taken place the sight of the caregiver produces a CR (conditioned response) of pleasure. According to a learning theorist, the conditioned pleasure response is the basis of love. 

  Now an attachment has formed and the caregiver becomes an attachment figure.
• 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. 
• Negative reinforcement 


  At the same time as 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.
• 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 associated between the caregiver and the satisfaction of a primary drive. SEARS ET AL. (1957) suggested that, as caregivers provide food, the primary drive of hunger becomes generalised to them.