Evaluation of Learning Theory in Attachment

Strengths

+ Conditioning is involved but not necessarily in the form of food - infant associates comfort with a caregiver, forming the attachment

Weaknesses

- Counter-evidence from animal studies counters importance of food - Harlow's monkey's and Lorenz' geese

- Counter-evidence from human baby studies - Schaffer & Emerson found babies attached to mother regardless if she was the one who fed them and Isabella found importance of caregiver interactions