learning theory

Question 1

what is attachment

Answer 1

a strong emotional tie that develops over time between an infant and their primary caregiver(s)

Attachment is a strong, enduring, emotional and reciprocal bond between two people,
especially an infant and caregiver.

Question 2

what is the learning theory

Answer 2

• attachment is a learned process (nurture).
• All behaviour is acquired through classical or operant conditioning.

Question 3

what is this an alternative explanation to

Answer 3

• evolutionary approach (Bowlby’s monotropic theory)
• learning theory states attachment is learnt - nurture

Question 4

classical conditioning in the learning theory

Answer 4

• the baby has to learn .. to form an attachment with his mother.
• food = ucs, pleasure from food = ucr
• the baby forms an association. between the mother (a neutral. stimulus) and the feeling of pleasure that comes from being fed (an innate unconditioned response).
• At first, the baby simply feels comforted by food
• However each time he is fed, the mother is there too.
• He quickly associates the mother with the pleasure of being fed.
• Before long, the mother stimulates a feeling of pleasure on her own, even without food. - CS
• This means the baby feels happier when the mother is near. It is the beginning of attachment

Question 5

in the learning theory what happens before classical conditioning and during the process of classical conditioning

Answer 5

before classical conditioning:
- Food = UCS → baby feels pleasure = UCR (to food)
- Mother = NS → baby doesn’t respond (no innate response to mother)
↳ the baby is not born with an attachment to his mother.
however, his mother is there each time he is fed.

The process of conditioning:
- Food = UCS → baby feels pleasure = UCR (to food)
- Mother = NS + Food = UCS → baby feels pleasure = UCR (to food)
- Mother = CS → baby feels pleasure = CR (to mother)

Question 6

what is the process of operant conditioning in the learning theory

Answer 6

• Baby performs action - cries
• Baby receives reward - food relieves hunger
• The reward reinforces the action, so the baby repeats it

Question 7

operant conditioning learning theory

Answer 7

• the baby has to learn to form an attachment with his mother.
• the mother rewards the infant by feeding him, so the infant associates any action that brings her close.
• This happens because food brings a feeling of pleasure .. (= reward) to the baby.
• Food is a primary reinforcer : by removing discomfort, it reinforces the behaviour that led to its arrival.
• But food never comes without the mother bringing it, so the mother becomes the secondary reinforcer
• even without bringing food, the presence of the caregiver reduces discomfort and brings a feeling of pleasure.
• The baby will therefore repeat any action e.g. crying, which brings the caregiver close.

Question 8

what is the strength for the learning theory

Answer 8

• credibility

Question 9

expand on the +ve AO3 point, credibility

Answer 9

• Although attachments based on feeding are a poor explanation of attachment, perhaps the association/conditioning aspect could have some validity.
• It is credible that the association of the Mother bringing comfort, safety, warmth etc could help form a strong attachment.

Question 10

What are the limitations for the learning theory

Answer 10

• Harlow + Harlow
• Lorenz
• Schaffer + Emmerson
• Alternative theory - Bowlby’s Evolutionary Theory

Question 11

expand on the -ve AO3 point, Bowlby’s evolutionary theory, for the learning theory

Answer 11

• Provides a much more credible explanation for attachment, with much more research support.
• This theory proposes that infants are biologically primed to attach to mothers and there are a series of innate mechanisms which make this happen.

Question 12

expand on the -ve AO3 point, Harlow + Harlow, for the learning theory

Answer 12

Aim:
- To test the learning theory of attachment - do babies attach to mothers via feeding/conditioning?
Procedure:
- In a series of experiments, baby monkeys were exposed to two wire mothers.
- One Provided food- “feeding mother”, another provided comfort (fluffy blanket)- “comfort mother”.
- If learning theory was valid, the monkey should spend most of its time on the feeding mother.
Findings:
- The baby monkeys spent on average 18 hrs a day on the comfort mother and 1 hour on the feeding mother.
- They also ran to the comfort mother when frightened.
Conclusion:
- This study refutes the learning theory of attachment and shows that comfort is much more important.

Question 13

expand on the -ve AO3 point, Lorenz, for the learning theory

Answer 13

• Lorenz found that baby geese “imprinted” or formed an attachment with the first living object they came into contact with (either Lorenz himself or their Mother).
• Feeding had nothing to do with attachment.
• This refutes the theory.

Question 14

expand on the -ve AO3 point, Schaffer + Emmerson, for the learning theory

Answer 14

• They discovered that many of the babies they studied had a primary attachment to their mother, even though other carers were doing most of the feeding.
• This refutes the learning theory of attachment.