Learning Theory

• Learning Theory-

  Classical conditioning-

  • 2 stimuli that are associated together to receive the same reaction.
  • E.g- food is an unconditional stimulus (natural) revives pleasure as an unconditional response. Caregivers start as a neutral stimulus but when it's associated with food and the pleasure that brings it is now become a conditioned stimulus, producing a conditioned response when the care giver is in sight – making hem an attachment figure.
• Learning Theory-

  Operant conditioning-

  • Due to the consequences given – positive response encourages the behaviour to happen again, bad consequence deters the behaviour.
  • E.g- babies crying for comfort, when they cry, they get the caregivers attention and possibly feeding, this is also reinforced for the care giver since the crying stops when they feed the baby, stopping the bad behaviour encouraging.
• Learning Theory-

  Secondary drive-

  • Attachment is a secondary drive, while food is a primary drive as its innate and a biological motivator.
  • Sears et al (1957) due to the care giver providing food the primary drive of hunger becomes generalised to them, making attachment a secondary drive since its learnt through the association of the care giver and the relief from the food.
• Learning Theory-

  CPS-Elements of conditioning help with attachment (comfort with a specific CG influencing who is the PCG).

  CPW- Babies are only responding to the association with comfort/reward, not any aspect of attachment (Feldman and Edelman).
• Learning theory-

  S- Based on 2-way interactions, parents rewarding the babies showing them loving behaviours - reciprocity.

  W- Lack of support from animal studies (Harlow and Lorenz showing that there are other factors (not food) that are used in attachment).

  W- Lack of support from human studies (Schaffer and Emerson show that the mother was the PCG regardless of she fed them) making food not the main factor in forming relationships.

  W- Ethical issues due to testing on babies.