learning theory of attachment- classical and operant conditioning

What is classical conditioning

Learning through association a neutral stimulus is consistently paired with an unconditioned stimulus so produces A conditioned response

What is learning theory

The idea that proposes or behaviour is learned rather than in born

What is operant conditioning

Learning through enforcement and consequences

Classical conditioning example with attachment

• The unconditioned stimulus is food and the unconditioned response is the baby feeling pleasure of food.

• The mother is the neutral stimulus which the baby in the beginning has no response to.

• During conditioning the neutral stimulus and the unconditioned stimulus or paired

• the mother then becomes the condition stimulus as the baby associate's then with the unconditioned stimulus and their pleasure

What are the four types of operant conditioning

positive and negative reinforcement and punishment

How can operant conditioning and drive reduction theory be explained with attachment

• When an animal is uncomfortable this creates a drive to reduce that discomfort

• when the infant is fed the drivers reduced in this produces a feeling of pleasure this is rewarding and called negative reinforcement

• the behaviour is more likely to be repeated in the future because it was rewarding

• through the process of classical conditioning the person who supplies the food is associated with avoiding discomfort and becomes a secondary reinforcer

What is a pet evaluation point about learning theory being reductionist

• It reduces the complex emotional bond between infant and caregiver to stimulus response associations and reinforcements

• a review of 17 studies found that oxytocin planes an important role in attachment the levels inquiries during skin to skin contact and parents with higher levels exhibit more responsiveness to infant interactions

• therefore it learning theory is oversimplified and fails to convey the depth of human attachment

What is a pet point about learning not being supported from animal studies

• Lack of support from studies conducted on animals

• Lorenz is geese imprinted on fast moving object regardless of food harlow's research suggest is no important for food as monkeys were more attached to mother who gave comfort

• this shows that factors other than association with food are important in the formation of attachments

What is a pet  point about learning not being supported by human studies

• Lack of support from human babies studies

• schaffer and emerson studied mother baby interactions over 18 months and interviewed mothers about baby separation anxiety and stranger anxiety. Their results were that babies tended to form their main attachment to their mother regardless of whether she was the one who usually fed them

• this suggests that food is not the main factor in the formation of human attachments