Explanations: learning theory

Question 1

● What does the learning theory emphasise in attachment?

Answer 1

The importance of food.

Question 2

● What is another name for learning theory of attachment?

Answer 2

Cupboard love theory.

Question 3

● According to learning theory, infants attach to whoever does what?

Answer 3

Feeds them.

Question 4

● In classical conditioning, what is the unconditioned stimulus in attachment?

Answer 4

Milk.

Question 5

● What response does milk naturally produce?

Answer 5

Pleasure.

Question 6

● What type of response is this pleasure?

Answer 6

Unconditioned response.

Question 7

● What is the neutral stimulus in attachment learning?

Answer 7

The feeder.

Question 8

● After conditioning, what does the feeder become?

Answer 8

Conditioned stimulus.

Question 9

● What response does the conditioned stimulus produce?

Answer 9

Conditioned response of pleasure.

Question 10

● According to classical conditioning, what is the basis of attachment love?

Answer 10

Association with food and pleasure.

Question 11

● Which psychologist is linked to classical conditioning?

Answer 11

Pavlov.

Question 12

● Which basic process links food and caregiver in learning theory?

Answer 12

Association.

Question 13

● What does the infant learn to associate the feeder with?

Answer 13

Food and pleasure.

Question 14

● What does the sight of the feeder alone indicate to the child?

Answer 14

That they will get fed.

Question 15

● What kind of response is produced when the feeder is seen after conditioning?

Answer 15

Conditioned response of pleasure.

Question 16

▲ If a child smiles when seeing the caregiver who usually feeds them, what has happened?

Answer 16

Classical conditioning.

Question 17

▲ A baby feels pleasure at milk and later at seeing the feeder. What is this called?

Answer 17

Association/conditioning.

Question 18

▲ In a conditioning example, what is the food?

Answer 18

Unconditioned stimulus.

Question 19

▲ In a conditioning example, what is the feeder before conditioning?

Answer 19

Neutral stimulus.

Question 20

▲ In a conditioning example, what is the feeder after conditioning?

Answer 20

Conditioned stimulus.

Question 21

▲ In a conditioning example, what is the baby’s pleasure after conditioning?

Answer 21

Conditioned response.

Question 22

▲ A baby expects food when caregiver enters the room. Which theory explains this?

Answer 22

Learning theory (classical conditioning).

Question 23

▲ Which process explains how a child links caregiver to milk?

Answer 23

Classical conditioning through association.

Question 24

▲ Which part of conditioning changes from neutral to conditioned stimulus?

Answer 24

The feeder.

Question 25

▲ According to learning theory, why does the child seek to be near the feeder?

Answer 25

Because feeder is associated with food and pleasure.

Question 26

✪ Why can the learning theory of attachment be criticised for reductionism?

Answer 26

It reduces attachment to stimulus, response, association.

Question 27

✪ What does this reductionism neglect?

Answer 27

A holistic approach including culture and social context.

Question 28

✪ Give an example of culture that challenges learning theory.

Answer 28

Collectivist cultures where multiple attachments form early.

Question 29

✪ Why does this cultural variation reduce validity of learning theory?

Answer 29

It overlooks social context in attachment formation.

Question 30

✪ Which animal research contradicts classical conditioning in attachment?

Answer 30

Harlow’s monkey study.

Question 31

✪ What did Harlow find monkeys preferred?

Answer 31

Comfort over food.

Question 32

✪ Why does Harlow’s research contradict learning theory?

Answer 32

Monkeys attached to comfort not to the feeder providing milk.

Question 33

✪ What limitation does Harlow’s animal research have?

Answer 33

Humans are more complex so generalisation is limited.

Question 34

✪ Which human study contradicts learning theory?

Answer 34

Schaffer and Emerson.

Question 35

✪ What did Schaffer and Emerson find about attachment and feeding?

Answer 35

Infants attached to mother even if not primary feeder.

Question 36

✪ What does this evidence suggest instead of food being key?

Answer 36

Responsiveness and interaction are more important.

Question 37

✪ Why does contradictory evidence lower validity of learning theory?

Answer 37

It shows feeding is not the main factor in attachment.

Question 38

✪ What overall criticism is made of learning theory in the text?

Answer 38

It is not a full explanation of how and why infants attach.