explanations of attachment: learning theory

• Classical Conditioning in dollard and miller 1950

  Involves learning to associate two stimuli

  UCS (food) leads to UCR (feeling of pleasure) in attachment

  Response isn't learned it's a unconditioned response
• Importance of food in dollard and miller 1950

  - 'cupboard love'

  - children learn to love whoever feeds them
• Baby learn at the mother produces a sense of pleasure in dollard and miller 1950

  Caregiver starts as NS (thing that produces a natural response)

  Person providing food overtime becomes associated with 'Food' (NS becomes CS)

  Once conditionings taken place, the site of the caregiver produces a CR of pleasure = basis of attachment love
• Role of operant conditioning in dollard and miller 1950


  Explains why babies cry for comfort (building block for attachment)

  Crying leads to a response from caregiver (feeding) as long as the caregiver provides the correct response, crying is reinforced as it provides a pleasurable consequence
• Negative reinforcement in dollard and miller 1950


  As the baby is reinforced for crying the caregiver receives negative reinforcement because the crying stops (negative reinforcement = escaping from something unpleasant = reinforcing)

  This interplay of positive and negative reinforcement strengthens attachment
• Drive reduction in dollard and miller 1950

  • Hunger = primary Drive (innate biological motivator), were motivated to eat, to stop hunger/reduce it
  • Attachment = secondary drive (learned between caregiver and satisfaction of SD)
  • sears et al-suggested as caregivers give food to primary Drive of hunger becomes generalised to them
• Does the neutral Stimulus (caregiver) in dollard and miller 1950 condition a response


  Initially does not elicit a response.
• does the conditioned Stimulus (caregiver) in dollard and miller 1950 condition a response


  Condition response of pleasure
• Does the unconditioned stimulus (food) condition a response?

  Unconditioned response of pleasure
• Does an unconditioned and neutral stimulus (food and caregiver) condition response?

  Unconditional response (pleasure)
• Operant Conditioning in dollard and miller 1950


  Learning through consequences of behavior.
• Reinforcement in dollard and miller 1950


  Process that strengthens behavior through rewards.
• Negative Reinforcement in dollard and miller 1950


  Behavior strengthened by removing unpleasant stimulus.
• Drive Reduction in dollard and miller 1950


  Motivation to reduce primary drives like hunger.
• Primary Drive in dollard and miller 1950

  Innate biological motivation, e.g., hunger.
• Secondary Drive in dollard and miller 1950


  Learned motivation associated with primary drives.
• Attachment


  Emotional bond formed with caregiver.
• Crying


  Behavior that elicits caregiver response.
• Caregiver


  Person providing care and food to infant.
• Learning Theory


  Explains attachment through behavioral principles.
• Strengths of DOLLARD and MILLERS 1950 study


  Some elements of conditioning could still be involved
• Limitations of DLLAD and MILLERS 1950 study


  - animal studies provide evidence against food as the basis of attachment

  - learning theory ignores other factors to attachment
• Sear's Study


  Suggested as caregivers give food the primary drive of hunger becomes generalised to them
• Pleasure Response


  Pleasure derived from caregiver presence.
• Food as Neutral Stimulus

  Food becomes associated with caregiver through conditioning.
• Emotional Response


  Feelings conditioned by caregiver interactions.
• what is classical conditioning

  learning to associate two stimuli eg: UCS (food) leads to an UCR (feeling of pleasure)
• what is operant conditioning

  explains why babies cry for comfort eg: crying to get a response from caregiver- if caregiver responds then the cryings reinforced as theres a pleasurable consequence after