learning theory

Learning theory argues that attachments are based on the principal of operant and classical conditioning; our first attachments are usually formed with our care giver, the person who feeds, changes and cuddles us. Classical conditioning is based on association, for example if a child is hungry them the milk from is the unconditioned stimulus which cause and unconditioned response of relief form its discomfort. This isn’t learned by the child it’s a natural response; however over time the pleasure of being fed is associated the mother. The next part of learning theory is Operant conditioning this is based on reward and punishment positive and negative reinforcement. If a child does something that we find cute then we give it more attention then it will learn to repeat this behaviour, this is positive reinforcement. A behaviour that stops something unpleasant will also be repeated for example if a child is crying because it is hungry and it I fed then the person feeding it has the removal of the loud crying and the child is fed and the child will repeat this behaviour. These theories were disputed by Shaffer and Emerson, they argued that the attachments weren’t formed because of feeding in fact 39% of babies weren’t attached to the person who fed them, and they believed that attachments were formed with the person that played with them. Also Harlow and Zimmerman believed that comfort was more important than feeding, they showed this by using baby monkeys, when frightened the baby monkeys would cling to their artificial cloth mother which did nothing instead of the wire mother that fed them. This is relevant to some extent, but its reductionist and reduces the complexity of the human genus.