6. Learning Theory - An Explanation of Attachment

• 0. REMINDER!!!

  THIS IS CLASSICAL + OPERANT CONDITIONING - NOT BOWLBY!!!!!!!!!
• 1. Learning Theory

  Dollard + Miller (1950):

  • ‘Cupboard love’.
  • Importance of caregiver as food provider.
• 1a. Learning Theory

  Dollard + Miller (1950) - Classical Conditioning:

  • Food (UCS) = Pleasure (UCR).
  • Mother (NS) = No Response.
  • Food (UCS) + Mother (NS) = Pleasure (UCR).
  • Mother (CS) = Pleasure (CR).
• 1b. Learning Theory


  Dollard + Miller (1950) - Classical Conditioning

  • Food (UCS) causes pleasure (UCR).
  • When caregiver (NS) provides food = association.
  • Caregiver (now CS) produces pleasure (now CR) bc infant associated them w/ pleasure + expects food.
• 2. Learning Theory

  Sears et al. (1957) - Operant Conditioning:

  • Caregiver provides food = primary drive of hunger generalised.
  • Attachment = secondary drive learned through association.
  • Crying — Caregiver Response = Feeding.
• 2. Learning Theory

  Sears et al. (1957) - Operant Conditioning:

  • Behaviour (crying) reinforced through positive reinforcement.
  • Directs crying for comfort.
  • Comfort response = facilitates attachment.
  • 2-way process as while baby reinforced for crying, caregiver negative reinforcement bc crying stops.
  • Reinforcement strengthens attachment.
• Learning Theory (Evaluation)

  Limitation:

  P - lack animal study support.

  E - Lorenz’s (1952) geese imprinted on 1st moving object, regardless of food.

  E - Harlow’s (1958) monkeys attachment behaviour towards soft ‘mother’ over wired one (contact comfort).

  L - factors other than association w/ food important.
• Learning Theory (Evaluation)

  Limitation:

  P - lack infant study support.

  E - Schaffer + Emerson (1964); infants form main att. to mother regardless whether they fed them or not.

  E - Isabella et al. (1989); high interactional synchrony = quality attachment (no food involved).

  L - food not main factor in human attachment.
• Learning Theory (Evaluation)

  Strength:

  P - conditioning involved in aspects of attachment.

  E - e.g. baby associates feeling warm w/ presence of specific adult; influences choose of main att. fig.

  L - learning theory useful in understanding development of attachment.
• Learning Theory (Evaluation)

  Limitation:

  P - classical + operant conditioning, infant in passive role.

  E - active role in interactions (Feldman + Eidelman, 2007).

  L - conditioning not adequate explanation.