AO1

• What is Dollard & Miller's learning theory?

  • In relation to infant attachment
  • Referred to as ‘cupboard love’ approach
  • Emphasises role of attachment figure as a provider of food
  • Children attach primarily to those who feed them
• What is Classical Conditioning in terms of attachment?

  • Associating two stimuli to produce the same result.
  • Food serves as an unconditioned stimulus
  • Food bring pleasure (instinctive) = unconditioned response
  • Caregiver = neutral stimulus (produces no response)
  • Caregiver provides food over time = becomes conditioned stimulus
  • Sight of Caregiver produces conditioned response of pleasure (love)
• What is Operant Conditioning in terms of attachment?

  • Learning to repeat behaviour depending on consequences.
  • Behaviour = pleasant consequence = likely to be repeated [+vice versa]
  • Baby crying = fed = crying inforced
  • Mutual Negative Reinforcement = crying stops by feeding baby = escaping from something unpleasant = reinforcing
  • Mutual reinforcement strengthens attachment
• What does learning theory say about a secondary drive?


  • Hunger = Primary Drive (innate, biological motivator)
  • Caregivers provide food = primary drive of hunger becomes generalised to them.
  • Secondary Drive is learned by association between caregiver and the satisfaction of a Primary Drive