3.5 Learning Theory

3.5 Learning Theory

1. Dollard and Miller (1950) proposed that attachment can be described by learning theory. Children love whoever feeds them.

2. Operant Conditioning

   • Learning from consequence of behaviour. If a behaviour produces an unpleasant consequence, less likely to be repeated. It is a reinforcement, if a baby cries it is more likely to receive comfort, so repeats this.
     • Reinforcement is a two way process. Baby is reinforced for crying but caregiver receives negative reinforcement because crying stops.

3. Classical Conditioning

   • Learning to associate two stimuli together. An unconditioned stimulus (e.g. food) comes in contact with a neutral stimulus (caregiver). Over time as caregiver provides food, baby learns to associate them with food. Caregiver becomes a conditioned stimulus and produces a conditioned response, pleasure of eating.

4. Evaluation

   • Strengths:
     • Elements of conditioning involved in attachments. Baby may associate feeling of warmth with particular adult so may influence their choice of particular attachment.
   • Weaknesses:
     • Lack of support from human studies. Schaffer and Emerson found that babies form main attachment to mother regardless of who fed them.
     • Lack of support from animal studies. Factors other than food associated involved in attachment.

5. As caregivers provide food, primary drive of hunger associated with them and attachment becomes a secondary drive associated between caregiver and satisfaction of primary drive.