Learning Theory of Attachment

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In 1950, Dollard and Miller proposed the learning theory of attachment. This was based on the theories of the behaviourism operant and classical conditioning). This is where the infant forms an attachment with the caregiver by forming an association. Food and milk brings pleasure and an end to discomfort (primary reinforcement), and the infant begins to associate these feelings with the person who brings them, the caregiver (secondary reinforcement).

In terms of operant conditioning, crying brings food, and food brings pleasure (positive reinforcement) and so makes the crying behaviour likely to be repeated. It also stops the feeling of hunger (negative reinforcement), thus making the crying response, again, more likely.

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In terms of classical conditioning, the infant stops crying when they are fed. The caregiver brings the food, and soon, the infant associated the presence of the caregiver with being fed. The infant then stops crying at the sight of the caregiver, thus responding to a conditioned stimulus.

This theory is often called the ‘cupboard love’ theory, as it concludes that attachments between infant and caregiver are formed because of the infant’s need for food. According to this theory, no food would mean no attachment.

However, a study by Harlow (1959) suggests that attachments are ...

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