Learning theory of attachment

Learning theory of attachment

1. Classical conditioning

   • Babies learn to associate the feeder (usually the mother) with the comfort of being fed and through the process of classical conditioning, they come to find contact with the mother comforting.

2. Operant conditioning

   • When an infant is hungry it feels uncomfortable (tummy ache), it cries. Feeding the baby makes it more comfortable
   • Crying is learned through positive reinforcement.
   • Over time the pleasure of being made comfortable by being fed becomes linked to the primary caregiver.
   • The baby has now learned to cry to get the primary caregiver’s attention, and it feels pleasure when the primary caregiver is present. Attachment has now been learned.

3. Learning theory provides a very scientifically reliable explanation.

4. The theory is extremely reductionist (reduced to just being about FOOD).

5. There is evidence that infants can form attachments with a person who is not the primary care-giver.

6. Schaffer & Emerson (1964) studied the attachments formed by 60 infants from birth. They found that a significant number of infants formed attachments with a person other than the one doing the feeding, nappy changing, etc. and that the primary attachment was often with the father and not the mother.

7. Dollard & Miller, 1950) suggests that attachment is a set of learned behaviours. The basis for the learning of attachments is the provision of food. An infant will initially form an attachment to whoever feeds it.