Classical and operant conditioning

• How are attachments formed through classical conditioning?

  1. Attachments can develop through classical conditioning. Babies learn to associate their caregiver with food.
  2. Food is an unconditioned stimulus due to the contentment it provides the child.
  3. Caregivers become a conditioned stimulus as they are associated with the food that satisfies the baby's needs.
• How are attachments formed through operant conditioning?

  Hungry baby=feel uncomfortable. Food reduces feelings of discomfort acting as a reward. As food directly reduces the uncomfortable feeling, it acts as a primary reinforcer.
• How are attachments formed through operant conditioning?

  Caregiver=associated with reducing feeling of hunger (by providing food). This makes them the secondary reinforcer as the provide the primary reinforcement. Therefore the baby will continue to seek contact with the mother as she becomes the source of reinforcement.
• How are attachments formed through operant conditioning?

  Settling a crying baby through feeding/cuddling acts as negative reinforcement for parent.