learning theory

• learning theorists, Dollard and Miller, proposed that caregiver infant attachment can be explained by learning theory. their approach is sometimes reffered to as the cupboard love approach as it emphasises the importance of the caregiver as a provider of food.
• classical conditioning involves learning to associate two stimuli together so a response to one is the same as how we act to the other. food is the unconditioned stimulus as being fed gives pleasure which is a unconditioned response. a caregiver is a neutral stimulus which produces a neutral response. when the same person provides the food they become associated with food so when the baby sees this person they expect food. the neutral stimulus has become the conditioned stimulus meaning the sight of the caregiver produces a conditioned repsonse of pleasure
• operant conditioning involves learning to repeat behaviour depending on its consequences. hunger is a drive that motivates the infant to reduce the discomfort experienced when hungry. feeding reduces this drive as pleasure is experienced. this is postive reinforcement as it is rewarding and so the behaviour of being fed is more likely to be repeated. food becomes the primary reinforcer as it supplies the reward. the person who supplied the food is linked with pleasure meaning theyre a secondary reinforcer. attachment occurs as the child seeks who can supply the reward
• Dollard and Miller researched the learning theory on attachment. hungry infants are uncomfortable and this creates a drive to reduce comfort. when the infant is fed, this creates a feeling of pleasure which is rewarding. food is the primary reinforcer because it reduces the uncomfortable hunger. the person who supplies the food becomes a secondary reinforcer. therefore, attachment occurs because the child seeks the person who supplies the reward
• one criticism is that the learning theory is based on research with animals. for example, Skinners research with pigeons. behaviourists believe that humans are no different from other animals in terms of how we learn so they believe it is legitmate to generalise findings from animals to humans. however, complex behaviour like attachment cannot be explained by conditioning. non behaviourists argue that attachment involves innate predispositions that could be explained in terms of conditioning. behaviourist explanations may lack validity as they oversimplify human behaviour
• another limitation is the emphasis placed on food in the formation of attachment. there is strong evidence to show that feeding has nothing to do with attachment. harlow described that the infant rhesus monkeys were most attached to the towelling mother that provided contact comfort not food. this shows that contact comfort may be the key influence to the formation of attachment rather than food
• a limitation of the learning theory is its explanatory power. infants do learn through association and reinforcement but food may not be the main reinforcer. it may be that attention from a caregiver are important rewards that assist in the formation of attachment. such reinforces were not part of the learning account. it may also be that responsiveness is something that infants imitate and thus learn about how to conduct relationships