Explanation : learning theory

• Dollard and Miller studied the 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
• Classical conditioning

  Classical conditioning involves learning to associate two stimuli. In attachment, the uncontrolled stimulus (food) leads to the uncontrolled response (pleasure). This response is not learned so it is an unconditioned response (unlearned).
• Baby learns that mother produces a sense of pleasure

  A caregiver starts as a neutral stimulus (produces no response). However, when the caregiver provides food overtime, they become associated with food so they become a controlled stimulus. Once conditioned, the sight of a caregiver evokes a controlled 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.
• Operant conditioning

  Operant conditioning explains why babies cry for comfort. Crying leads to a response from the caregiver. As long as the caregiver provides the correct response, crying is reinforced as it produces a pleasureable consequence.
• Negative reinforcement

  At the same time as the baby is reinforced for crying, the caregiver receives negative reinforcement as the crying stops. This interplay of positive and 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 aa secondary drive learned by an association between the caregiver and the satisfaction of a primary drive. Sears suggested that ,as caregivers provide the food, the primary drive of hunger becomes generalised to them.
• Evaluation

  One limitation of learning theory is counter evidence from animal studies. Lorenz's geese imprinted on the first moving object they saw. Harlow's monkeys attached to a soft surrogate in preference to a wire one with milk. In both these animal studies, imprinting and attachment did not develop as a result of feeding. This shows that factors other than feeding are important in attachment formation.
• Evaluation

  One limitation is counter evidence from human studies. Schaffer and Emerson showed that for many babies their main attachment was not to the person who fed them. Also, Isabella found that interactional synchrony predicted attachment quality. This again suggests that other factors are more important in attachment formation than feeding.
• Evaluation

  One strength is that some elements of conditioning could still be involved. It seems unlikely that association with food is central to attachment. However, conditioning may still play some role in attachment. For example, a baby's choice of primary attachment figure may be determined by the fact that a caregiver becomes associated with warmth and comfort. This means that conditioning could still be important in choice of attachment figures, though not the process of attachment formation.