AO1

• Dollard and Miller (1950) proposed that caregiver-infant attachment can be explained by learning theory (cupboard love)
• classical conditioning

  • learning to associate 2 stimuli together- begin to respond to one in the same way we already respond to the other
  • food acts as an unconditioned stimulus and it gives pleasure that is not learned to so that pleasure is an unconditioned response
  • caregiver starts off as a neutral stimulus, when the same person provides food regularly they become associated with it so become a conditioned stimulus
  • once conditioning has taken place the sight of the caregiver becomes a conditioned response
• operant conditioning

  • learning whether or not to repeat behaviour dependent on its consequence
  • if behaviour produces a positive consequence then it is more likely to be repeated- therefore it is reinforced
  • a baby is reinforced for crying and the caregiver receives negative reinforcement because the crying stops
  • interplay of mutual reinforcement strengthens attachment