Learning theory

Learning theory

1. The learning theory takes the view that attachment is a learned process, and that attachment is acquired through conditioning.

   • CLASSICAL CONDITIONING
     • A form of learning where a neutral stimulus is paired with a stimulus that already produces a response, such that over time, the neutral stimulus also produce that response.
     • Unconditioned response & unconditioned stimulus - neutral stimulus - conditioned stimulus & conditioned response
       • Unconditioned stimulus of food produces unconditioned response of pleasure
         • Caregiver becomes associated with pleasure and so caregiver becomes conditioned stimulus
           • Caregiver becomes a general source of pleasure, irrespective of the presence of food
   • OPERANT CONDITIONING
     • If a behaviour is followed by desirable consequences, it becomes more frequent; if it is followed by an undesirable consequence, it becomes less frequent.
     • Dollard and Miller (1950) - inclusion of a mental state
       • Hungry infant feels uncomfortable - drive state
         • Drive state motivates infant to find a way to lessen the discomfort - infant cries
           • Caregiver feeds infant - drive reduction
             • Food - reward/primary reinforcer; caregiver - supplies food;secondary reinforcer
               • Infant seeks to be with caregiver as they have become a source of reward - infant is attached

2. HARLOW and HARLOW (1962)

   • PROCEDURE
     • Two wire mesh cylinders with a face made to look like (mother) monkeys
       • One mesh cylinder was bare but provided food
       • Other mesh cylinder did not provide food but was covered in cloth
     • Infant monkeys placed in cage with the two cylinders, and their behaviours were observed
   • FINDINGS
     • Infant monkeys spent most of their time with the cloth-covered cylinder
     • Would go to cloth-covered cylinder when frightened
     • Used cloth-covered cylinder as a secure base from which to explore
   • CONCLUSIONS
     • Simply supplying food is not sufficient for the formation of attachment
     • Contact comfort is preferable to food comfort, but it is not sufficient for a healthy development
       • In later life, the monkeys were indifferent and abusive to other monkeys. They also had difficulty with mating and parenting.
       • Infants need a responsive carer
   • EVALUATION
     • This study was critical in demonstrating that neither feeding nor physical contact could independently explain attachment and healthy development
     • Criticized as being unethical due to the psychological harm and unhealthy development experienced by infant monkeys because of this study

3. EVALUATION

   • Studies have shown that infants do not always form attachments with the person who feeds them (role of reinforcement)
     • HARLOW and HARLOW (1962)
       • However, they found that contact comfort was a key source of reinforcement, but it was not sufficient for healthy development
         • Difficult to generalize findings to human behaviour as the study was carried out with monkeys
     • SCHAFFER and EMERSON (1964)
       • Found that fewer than half of the infants had a primary attachment to the person who usually fed and bathed them
   • Reductionist
     • Simplifies the complexities of human behaviours, such as attachment, to overly simple ideas such as stimulus, response, and reinforcement
     • Concepts are too simple to explain complex behaviour such as attachment