Explanations of Attachment: Learning Theory

Explanations of Attachment: Learning Theory

1. Learning Theory & attachment

   • Dollard & Millar (1950) proposed that caregiver-infant attachment can be explained by learning theory
     • 'Cupboard love' approach; emphasises the importance of the caregiver as a provider of food
     • Basically - children learn to love whoever feeds them

2. Classical conditioning

   • Learning through association with 2 stimuli
   • Food is an unconditioned stimulus
     • Being fed gives us pleasure & is an unconditioned response (we don't learn it)
   • Caregiver starts as a neutral stimulus
     • Same person feeds infant over time, they become associated with food
       • When baby sees person, they expect food and the neutral stimulus becomes the conditioned stimulus
         • The sight of the caregiver produces a conditioned response of pleasure

3. Operant conditioning

   • Behaviour is repeated/learned through reinforcement
   • Explains why babies cry for comfort
     • Crying leads to a response from the caregiver e.g. feeding
       • As long as the caregiver provides the correct response, crying is reinforced
         • The baby then directs crying for comfort towards the caregiver who responds with 'social suppressor' behaviour
   • Reinforcement is a two-way process
     • Baby is reinforced for crying, caregiver receives negative reinforcement as crying stops (escaping from something unpleasant)
       • Strengthens an attachment

4. Attachment as a secondary drive

   • Drive reduction
     • Hunger as a primary drive
       • We are motivated to eat in order to reduce the hunger drive
   • Sears et al (1957)
     • Suggested that as caregivers provide food, the primary drive of hunger becomes generalised to them
       • Attachment is thus a secondary drive learned by an association between the caregiver and the satisfaction of a primary drive

5. Evaluation

   • Counter-evidence from animal research
     • Harlow's monkeys showed that food wasn't important (against Dollard & Millar's approach)
   • Counter-evidence from human research
     • Schaffer & Emerson study suggested that babies form attachments with those who play and communicate with them
   • Is evidence to suggest that we do learn through association & reinforcement
     • Pavlov's dogs & Skinner's box