Explanation of Attachment: The learning theory

Assumptions

A behaviourist explanation that suggests that attachments are learnt through the environment and are a result of nurture rather than nature

Attachment is learnt rather than inborn and that children are born as ‘blank slates’ and that they are shaped by their experience

Learning to attach via Classical conditioning

Involves the formation of associations between different events and stimuli, this explains the emotional bond formed through associations with comfort and security, contributing to the infants attachment to their mother

Explains attachment theory by suggesting that infants learn to associate their caregivers with satisfying their needs and subsequent pleasure so they emotionally bond/attach to this pleasure providing figure

CC and attachment

Food automatically satisfies a baby’s basic need and causes pleasure, the caregiver usually provides this source of pleasure

Because this process is constantly repeated the caregiver becomes the source of pleasure due to the association with food leading to attachment

Unconditioned stimulus (Food) =Unconditioned response (Pleasure)

Neutral stimulus (Caregiver) =No response

NS (Caregiver) +UCS (Food) =UCR (pleasure)

Conditioned stimulus (Caregiver) =Conditioned response (Pleasure)

Stimulus generalisation

It’s important to understand how stimulus generalisation can influence responses to the conditioned stimulus, once a person is trained to respond to a stimulus similar stimuli may produce the same response as well

Sometimes this can be problematic especially in cases where the individual needs to be able to distinguish between stimuli and respond only to a very specific stimulus

Learning to attach via Operant conditioning

Negative reinforcer- Behaviour that increases behaviours by removing negative consequences or stimuli

Primary reinforcer- A naturally occurring reaction to a stimulus. The response is innate and doesn’t require learning

Secondary reinforcer- A stimulus that becomes reinforcing after being paired with a primary reinforcer

Proximity-seeking behaviour- Behaviours that seek to restore closeness, when the infant is separated from the attachment figure

Proposes that infants are in a drive state, a form of internal tension or discomfort that motivates an organism to engage in behaviours that will reduce this discomfort

OC and Attachment

• Food to a child is a primary reinforcer as it fulfills a biological need, the child’s caregiver becomes a secondary reinforcer because they provide the primary reinforcer

• This means the child will try and stay as close to the caregiver as they can, this attachment behaviour is referred to as proximity-seeking

• When the caregiver feeds the child, the crying stops, this acts as negative reinforcement for the caregiver and in the future when the child cries they will comfort in the same way because this removed the negative experience in the past

• Other people feeding will mean the child will form multiple attachments, this is referred to as stimulus generalisation

Dollard and Miller

Emphasised that a child’s attachment is primarily due to the caregiver providing food rather than an emotional bond, when an infant is hungry they experience discomfort, which creates a drive state and motivates them to reduce this discomfort. The drive is reduced when fed satisfying the hunger and making them comfortable

Over time the infant learns to view the food as a primary reinforcer or reward, this leads to development of an attachment

Evaluation points

Legitimacy -

Research -

Scientific +

Explanatory power +