A03: Learning theory

• One limitation of learning theory is that it is viewed as determinist, due to its focus on association and stimulus. This contrasts to alternative explanations. This can be seen as Isabelle et al conducted a longitudinal study of 30 mothers, finding that interactional synchrony and reciprocity contributed greatly to the formation of a secure attachment
• Hay & Vespo produced an alternative explanation for attachment, suggesting attachment to be learned via modelling. As the infant learns to love the parent they model behaviours such as cuddling. This suggests learning theory to be a determinist explanation, which only fails to take into account social factors and alternative explanations beyond learning theory.
• Furthermore, there is contradictory human studies regarding attachment formation. As Schaffer and Emerson found that some infants would still form a primary attachment with their mother, despite other carer's providing the majority of the feeding time, thus suggesting food to not be the key to attachment. Similarly, Field et al found that the key to attachment was high levels of sensitive responsiveness to all forms of infant cues and bids for attention.
• Harlow's cloth monkey experiment rejects the cupboard love thoery, as infant monkey's did not attach to the surrogate wire mother that provided food and instead attached to cloth monkey, which provided comfort but did not dispense milk.