The Learning theory of Attachment

Who proposed the learning theory of attachment

Dollard and Miller 1950

What is learning theory often referred to

Cupboard love

• emphasis the attachment figure as the provider of food

• e.g the child learns to love whoever feeds them

What does learning theory suggest about attachment

• children are born as 'blank slates'

• experience is key to learning

• observable behaviours can be measured and used to understand people

• children attach to a caregiver because the caregiver is the provider of food

Outline Classical conditioning in reference to explaining attachment

• The caregiver starts as the neutral stimulus (NS)

• Food is the UCS

• The baby's response (e.g. smiling, crying, banging their high-chair tray) is the UCR

• As a caregiver provides food, over time, they become associated with food

  • The NS is paired with UCS

• The baby expects food when they see their caregiver

  • The baby emits their usual response (e.g. smiling, crying, banging their high-chair tray)

• Thus the NS has become a conditioned stimulus (CS) which is met with the baby's conditioned response (CR)

Outline operant conditioning in reference to explaining attachment

Baby cries → receives food (reward) → Positive Reinforcement

Baby cries → caregiver provides food and crying stops → Negative Reinforcement

How is OC a two-way process in attachment

Both baby and caregiver receive reinforcement

How is Attachment a primary drive

Sears et al. 1957 suggested that as care givers provide food, the primary drive can be generalised to them

• Attachment is thus a secondary drive learned by association between the caregiver and the satisfaction of a primary drive (hunger of baby)

Evaluate the strengths of LTOA

Some conditioning may be involved

• Even though food may not be the main factor in attachment forming, it is clear that infants form an association with other factors (such as comfort, soothing, and nurture) with a caregiver

• Infants may form stronger attachments to particular caregivers who offer responsiveness and attention; the infant may become conditioned to this care and therefore attachments are formed

• These factors are not part of learning theory but the idea of an infant can associate factors (but not food) with particular caregivers helps in explaining attachment

Evaluate the limitations of learning theory of attachment

Contradictory animal studies

• Harlow’s 1958 study shows thatmonkeys found that monkeys attached to a cloth 'mother' (made from wire) when food was provided by another source (the plain wire mother)

• This suggests that other factors are important in forming an attachment rather than an association with food

Counter evidence from human studies

• Schaffer and Emerson (1964) found that babies formed their primary attachment to their mother despite the mother not being the caregiver who usually fed them

• Interactional synchrony and reciprocity are considered the foundations for building an attachment between caregiver and infant (Isabella et al. 1989)

• These studies and evidence suggest that food is not the main factor in attachments forming between an infant and their caregiver