The learning theory of attachment

Learning theory, also known as the behaviourist approach, proposes that attachments develop through processes of conditioning. It emphasises how infants form bonds with caregivers primarily because these individuals meet basic needs.

Classical conditioning in attachment formation

Classical conditioning involves creating links between neutral stimuli and natural responses.

In attachment:

• Food acts as an unconditioned stimulus that naturally produces pleasure in the infant.
• The caregiver starts as a neutral stimulus but becomes associated with the food.
• Over time, the infant links the caregiver's presence with pleasure, forming an attachment bond.

Operant conditioning in attachment formation

Operant conditioning focuses on behaviours reinforced by rewards or the removal of discomfort. Dollard and Miller (1950) applied this to attachment:

• Infants experience hunger as discomfort, prompting cries for relief.
• When the caregiver provides food, it removes the discomfort (negative reinforcement), making the infant more likely to repeat behaviours like crying.
• The caregiver becomes a source of reinforcement, leading to attachment behaviours such as distress on separation and desire for closeness.

Strengths and weaknesses of learning theory

Learning theory provides a structured explanation for attachment but has been critiqued for oversimplifying human bonds.

Strengths of learning theory

• Has substantial support from scientific research.

Weaknesses of learning theory

• Reductionist approach - Reduces complex emotional attachments to basic stimulus-response links.
• Reliance on animal studies - Much evidence comes from non-human research, limiting generalizability.
• Competing theories - Other theories of attachment also have empirical support.

Bowlby's monotropic theory of attachment

Bowlby's monotropic theory (1951) views attachment as an evolved mechanism for survival, drawing from evolutionary biology. It argues that attachment in humans resembles imprinting.

Key claims of Bowlby's theory

• Evolutionary basis - Attachment evolved through natural selection to promote survival, ensuring infants stay close to caregivers for protection and nourishment.
• Monotropy and primary attachment - Infants form one special bond (monotropy), typically with the biological mother, though secondary attachments occur; this primary bond offers a safe base for exploring the world.
• Internal working model - Early attachments create a mental template (internal working model) for all future relationships, supporting the continuity hypothesis where childhood patterns influence adult bonds; this model can change and develop over time.
• Critical period - Attachments must form within the first three years; failure or disruption (e.g., separation) can lead to permanent social and emotional issues, as per the maternal deprivation hypothesis.

Key evidence and evaluation of Bowlby's theory

Bowlby's ideas have been tested through various studies, providing mixed support and highlighting limitations.

Supporting evidence: Harlow's monkey studies (1958)

• Method - Infant rhesus monkeys were separated from mothers and given wire or cloth surrogate mothers, some providing milk.
• Results - Monkeys preferred the comforting cloth surrogate, even if it lacked food, and showed distress without it.
• Conclusions - Supports the evolved need for emotional comfort in attachment, beyond just feeding.

Challenging evidence: Schaffer and Emerson (1964)

• Participants - 60 Glasgow infants observed from birth to 18 months.
• Procedure - Monthly assessments of attachment behaviours and caregiver interactions.
• Results - Many infants formed primary attachments based on caregiving quality; some attached primarily to fathers or siblings.
• Conclusions - Challenges strict monotropy, as multiple strong attachments were common without harm.

Additional limitations of Bowlby's theory

• Peer attachment in monkeys - Harlow found monkeys raised only with peers formed bonds among themselves, contradicting the need for a single primary caregiver.
• Critical period debate - Evidence shows effects of deprivation are not always irreversible.
• Cultural and social impact - Bowlby's emphasis on maternal attachment influenced 1950s policies promoting stay-at-home mothers, affecting female workforce participation.