Learning Theory

Learning Theory

1. The theory argues that we can predict and control behaviour in animals through the process of classical and operant conditioning and this can be applied to how we learn to attach to our caregiver

2. Classical Conditioning

   • Suggest that an infant is born with natural, reflex responses
   • The stimulus of food produces a response of pleasure- an unconditioned stimulus and an unconditioned response
     • The person providing the food (over a number of times) , usually the mother becomes associated with this pleasure
     • She will start off as a neutral stimulus
     • The person providing food will become a conditioned stimulus and a source of pleasure (conditioned response), irrespective of whether or not food is supplied.
     • According to learning theory this is the basis of the attachment bond.

3. Operant Conditioning

   • Focuses on reinforcement to explain the development of attachments
   • A newborn baby will cry in response to feelings of discomfort , which come from being hungry or cold.
     • The sound of the baby is uncomfortable to the caregiver who will attempt to console the child by feeding and cuddling them.
     • These behaviours are rewarding for the baby is likely to settle down and stop crying.
     • This acts as negative reinforcement for the parent and they are likely to repeat the feeding/cuddling when the baby cries te next time.
     • As the crying has produced a reward or positive reinforcement, the baby is likely to repeat the crying behaviour. As the cuddling and feeding behaviour switched off the unpleasant crying, the parent learns to feed and cuddle the baby in order to stop the cring.
     • According to learning theory this is the basis of the attachment bond.

4. Strength

   • Research evidence to support both classical and operant conditioning as explanations for attachment are scientific.
     • Pavlov and skinner conducted lab experiments under controlled conditions to assess classical and operant conditioning.
       • For example in classical conditioning the independent variable was the different stimuli introduced to a dog e.g. a bell, a musical box.
         • The dependant variable was the amount of salivation and whether an association had taken place.
       • This is a strength as the theory can be generalised and applied to explain attachment. It can explain how we can learn to associate the caregiver who gives us food with pleasure. This is then the basis for the attachment bond

5. Weaknesses

   • Research by Schaffer and Emerson
     • Observed 60 babies in Glasgow over a year
     • They found that the first attachment formed by 39% of babies was not to the person who carried out physical care such as feeding and changing the baby's nappy
       • Attachments are more likely to be formed to those who are sensitive and rewarding to the baby and who play with them
       • These findings challenge the learning theory's view of attachment formation because attachment had not been made through the process of classical and operant conditioning with the caregiver as the main figure in the process.
   • Research by Harlow and Harlow
     • The infant monkeys placed in a cage with 2 mesh cylinders each with a face. One cylinder was bare and provided the baby monkey with milk from a teat while the other cylinder was covered with towelling
     • If food was the cause of attachment then we would expect the monkeys to cling to the bare cylinder that supplied milk. In fact the monkeys spent most of their time on the towelled one as a secure base from which to explore
     • This study indicated that simply supplying food isn't sufficient for the formation of attachment. This therefore questions learning theory as an explanation of attachment
   • Ignores considerable evidence such as importance of innate aspects of attachment that are looked at by John Bowlby's theory.
     • He suggest that infants are born with innate tendency to form an attachment that serves to increase their chances of survival
       • An attachment is a reciprocal process, he suggest it's likely that adults are also innately programmed to become attached to their infants, otherwise they would not respond to their infant and an attachment bond couldn't develop
       • Therefore the process of attachment is not learnt but an innate process for the caregiver and child. This therefore challenges the learning approach as an explanation of attachment.