Outline and Evaluate the Learning Theory of Attachment
5/6 AO1 and 3/6 AO2
- Created by: Toomas
- Created on: 24-03-14 20:00
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- Learning Theory
- AO2
- Attachment is not always based on feeding
- Research from Harlow + Harlow suggests that baby monkeys become attached to a surrogate mother who provides comfort more than one that provides food
- However, this cannot be applied to attachments between humans as we cannot EXTRAPOLATE from animal studies to explain human behaviour
- Further research from Schaffer and Emerson (1964) found that fewer of the human infants in their study had a primary attachment to the person who fed them
- This contradicts the Learning Theory Explanation as it suggests that attachments are not formed based on feeding and the findings of Schaffer and Emerson CAN be applied to human attachment
- Further research from Schaffer and Emerson (1964) found that fewer of the human infants in their study had a primary attachment to the person who fed them
- However, this cannot be applied to attachments between humans as we cannot EXTRAPOLATE from animal studies to explain human behaviour
- Research from Harlow + Harlow suggests that baby monkeys become attached to a surrogate mother who provides comfort more than one that provides food
- The Learning Theory of attachment is reductionist
- This is because it is too simplistic as an explanation of why we form attachments.
- Attachment is not always based on feeding
- AO1
- Operant Conditioning
- Behaviour is maintained through reinforcement
- Reinforcement
- Positive Reinforcement
- Introducing something pleasant to reinforce a certain behaviour
- For example, a mother giving their baby food for being close to them
- Taking away unpleasantries to reinforce a certain behaviour
- For example, a mother changing their baby's nappy for being close to them
- Introducing something pleasant to reinforce a certain behaviour
- Positive Reinforcement
- Classical Conditioning
- Behavior is learnt through assosciation
- Process
- Before conditioning
- An Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS) provokes an Unconditioned Response (UCR)
- A Neutral Stimulus (NS) provokes a Neutral Response (NR)
- During Conditioning
- The UCS is paired with the NS which provokes the UCR
- After Conditioning
- The NS becomes a Conditioned Stimulus (CS) and, alone, it can cause the UCR, which becomes the Conditioned Response (CR)
- Applied to Attachment
- Being close to their Mother and eating food (UCS + NS) causes babies to feel comfort (UCR)
- Eating food (UCS) causes babies to feel comfort (UCR)
- Being close to their Mother (CS) causes babies to feel comfort (CR)
- Before conditioning
- Operant Conditioning
- AO2
- Applied to Attachment
- Being close to their Mother and eating food (UCS + NS) causes babies to feel comfort (UCR)
- Eating food (UCS) causes babies to feel comfort (UCR)
- Being close to their Mother (CS) causes babies to feel comfort (CR)
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