learning theory as an explanation

• DOLLARD & MILLER 1950

  • believed caregiver-infant attachment can be explained by learning theory.
  • emphasis on the person who provides the food to the infant, baby loves the person who feeds them.
  • infants have no innate tendency to form attachments.
  • learn attachments because of food.
  • learning is a result of conditioning - operant and classical.
  • all behaviour is learned, according to learning theory.
• CLASSICAL CONDITIONING

  • BEFORE:
  • food = unconditioned stimulus
  • pleasure = unconditioned response
  • caregiver = neutral stimulus, gets no response from baby.
  • DURING:
  • caregiver + milk bottle = neutral stimulus + unconditioned stimulus
  • pleasure = unconditioned response
  • AFTER
  • caregiver = conditioned stimulus
  • pleasure = conditioned response
• OPERANT CONDITIONING:

  • learning to repeat or not repeat behaviours based on consequences.
  • if behaviour is followed by positive reinforcement, behaviour is more likely to be repeated - negative consequence, less likely to be repeated.
  • explains why babies cry for comfort - hungry baby cries out of distress.
  • feeding makes the baby more comfortable, so crying is learned through negative reinforcement.
  • reinforcement is a two-way process, caregiver also experiences negative reinforcement.
  • crying stops when baby is fed, caregivre escapes unpleasant experience.
• ATTACHMENT AS A SECONDARY DRIVE

  • dollard & miller identified concept of drive reduction.
  • hungry infant is uncomfortable so drives to reduce this.
  • when infant is fed, discomfort is reduced and pleasure shows.
  • food = primary reinforcer reducing discomfort.
  • caregiver that supplies food = secondary reinforcer.
  • attachment occurs when child seeks person who supplies food.
  • sears suggests that as caregivers provide food (the primary drive), hunger becomes generalised to them.
• STRENGTH - SOME ELEMENTS OF CONDITIONING ARE INVOLVED

  • the primary attachment figure could be chosen by reinforcement - they are the one that provides the most comfort.
  • suggests interaction between the primary caregiver and provision of comfort has been established through concepts offered by learning theory.
  • suggests learning theory has contributed to our understanding of the development of an attachment.
• LIMITATION - SLT MAY BE A BETTER EXPLANATION

  • Hay & vespo suggest that parents teach children to love them by demonstrating (modelling) attachment behaviours, like hugging.
  • parents also reinforce loving behaviours by showing approval when babies display their own attachmetn behaviours, like attention to their parents.
  • SLT views attachment as a recipricol process.
• LIMITATION - COUNTER-EVIDENCE FROM ANIMAL RESEARCH

  • Harlow's study - monkeys spent longer periods of time with soft cloth mothers due to contact comfort and only went to the wired mother when they needed food.
  • according to learning theory, the monkeys should have attached to the mother that provided food as they would have associated it with pleasure and reduction of hunger through classical conditioning.
  • contradictory evidence reduces reliability of learning theory.
• LIMITATION - COUNTER-EVIDENCE FROM HUMAN RESEARCH

  • Isabella et al - found that higher levels of intractional synchrony predicted the quality of attachment.
  • learnign theory ignores important social interactions like interactional synchrony.
  • research shows that good quality attachments are associated with good levels of social interactions.
  • suggests food is not the main factor in the formation of human attachments.