Classical conditioning
The belief that behaviour is learnt rather than innate, put forward by behaviourists. Suggests that children are born as blank slates… become who they are due to experiences. Attachments are learnt by the food (US) being associated with the caregiver (NS) to produce a feeling of pleasure (UCS), so the caregiver becomes the conditioned stimulus and the pleasure response is the conditioned response./
Operant conditioning
Started by skinner, further investigated by Dollard and Miller in regard of attachment and drive reduction, which is something which describes something which motivates behaviour. It is negative reinforcement for the mother, as by giving the baby food, the crying is being taken away
Primary reinforcement
Behaviour which is reinforced by food is repeated and food becomes the primary reinforcer as it is associated with a reward and reinforces the behaviour
Secondary reinforcement
The person supplying the food which can be the mother or primary
Primary/positive reinforcement
The pleasure felt when the infant is fed. The infant feels uncomfortable when hungry, so has a drive to reduce that discomfort.
Primary reinforcement
Behaviour which is reinforced by food is repeated and food becomes the primary reinforcer as it is associated with a reward and reinforces the behaviour.
Secondary reinforcer
The person supplying the food (primary caregiver) becomes a secondary reinforcer as they are the source of the reward. Conclusively, the attachment occurs because the child associates the person who supplies the food with rewards and seeks them out.
Positive reinforcement
Something is added so the behaviour repeats (treat, money, prize)
Positive punishment
Adding an unwanted stimulus so the behaviour stop (detention)
Negative reinforcement
Taking away a stimulus in order to increase the behaviour, always taking something negative away (if the mother gives the baby food, it would stop crying reinforcing the mother to feed the baby more often)
Negative punishment
Taking something positive away in order to stop the behaviour (taking away phone or not allowing them to go out with friends)
Evaluation of learning theory - point 1 : against
HARLOW - opposing
Brief overview of the process, then findings.
Harlow took infant rhesus monkeys away from their mothers, placed them in cages with 2 fake mothers, one make of wire mesh and the other made of cloth. The wire mother had food, while the cloth mother did not. It was found that the monkeys preferred the cloth mother when seeking out comfort, and only went to the wore mother for food, sometimes keeping a leg on the cloth mother while feeding.
These findings go against learning theory and suggests that food isn’t the primary factor when seeking attachment, comfort is. Reduces validity of the learning theory.
Evaluation of learning theory - point 2 - against
GENERALISABILITY - opposing
weakness of learning theory is its based on animal research and may lack validity as animal research is oversimplified for humans.
People have more complex cognitions , including meta-cognitive abilities to monitor our own thoughts. People also live in a much more dynamic and complex social environment.
These factors may impact human attachment in unique ways, making animal research less generalisable and learning theory less valid.
Evaluation of learning theory - point 3 - against
SCHAFFER AND EMERSON - opposing
Weakness of learning theory is in the findings that attachments are not always formed with the person who feeds the infant.
S & E found that 39% of first attachments were not with people who carried out physical care, attachments were more likely to be formed to those who played with the infant and offered comfort.
Opposes learning theory as the theory believed that nourishment caused attachment, but these findings show that comfort and enjoyment are more important than nourishment, supports Harlow findings.
Evaluation of learning theory - Point 4 - against
BOWLBY - opposing
Found that attachment is evolutionary, and while you attach to a primary caregiver, you can also have secondary attachments. It causes an emotional advantage for the infant, mention critical period, social releases were very important for attachment as it would elicit a response from the caregiver.
