Learning theory

• What are the implications of the findings on infant imitation and interaction?

  • Infants are capable of intentional imitation from a very young age.
  • Early interactions are crucial for developing communication skills.
  • Sensitivity to infant behavior lays the groundwork for attachment.
  • Individual differences in infants can affect the quality of relationships.
• What role does reinforcement play in the imitation of behaviors by children?

  Reinforcement encourages the child to repeat the observed behavior.
• What is the relationship between crying and food in the context of attachment theory?

  Crying is a behavior that signals hunger, leading to feeding and attachment reinforcement.
• What is a primary reinforcer in the context of attachment theory?

  Food is considered a primary reinforcer.
• How does classical conditioning explain the attachment between a baby and its mother?

  The baby associates the mother with food, leading to pleasure even in her absence.
• What are the steps involved in classical conditioning as described in the study material?

  1. Unconditioned stimulus (UCS) - food; 2. Neutral stimulus (NS) - mother; 3. Conditioned response (CR) - pleasure.
• What is the unconditioned response (UCR) in the context of the attachment theory described?

  The unconditioned response (UCR) is pleasure.
• What is the difference between a primary reinforcer and a secondary reinforcer in attachment theory?

  A primary reinforcer is food, while a secondary reinforcer is the mother who provides the food.
• How does operant conditioning differ from classical conditioning in the context of learning?

  Operant conditioning involves learning through reinforcement, while classical conditioning involves associating stimuli.
• What are the key components of classical conditioning as applied to attachment theory?

  • Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS): Food
  • Neutral Stimulus (NS): Mother
  • Unconditioned Response (UCR): Pleasure
  • Conditioned Response (CR): Pleasure from the mother
• What are the steps of operant conditioning as described in the study material?


  1. Behavior is performed (e.g., crying).
  2. Behavior is reinforced (e.g., feeding).
  3. The behavior is likely to be repeated due to reinforcement.