LEARNING THEORY - CONDITIONING

LEARNING THEORY

CLASSICAL CONDITIONING. . .

• LEARNING THROUGH ASSOCIATION
• ATTACHMENTS MAY BE LEARNED THROUGH ASSOCIATION
• FOOD - SUCH AS MILK = UNCONDITIONED STIMULUS (UCS)
• -> AS IT NATURALLY PRODUCES A RESPONSE
• RESPONSE NATURALLY PRODUCED BY FOOD IS A FEELING OF PLEASURE/COMFORT AS IT RELIEVES HUNGER = UNCONDITIONED RESPONSE (UCR)

Slide 3

• BEFORE CONDITIONING
• FOOD --------> PLEASURE
• (UCS) (UCR)
• DURING CONDITIONING
• FOOD + CAREGIVER ------> PLEASURE
• (UCS) + (NS) (UCR)
• AFTER CONDITIONING
• CAREGIVER ------> PLEASURE
• (CS) (CR)

OPERANT CONDITIONING . . .

• REFERS TO LEARNING THROUGH REINFORCEMENT AND PUNISHMENT
• CAN ALSO EXPLAIN FORMATION OF ATTACHMENTS
• HUNGRY INFANT FEELS DISCOMFORT - DUE TO FEELING HUNGRY - RESULTS IN THEM CRYING
• BABY = POSITIVELY REINFORCED FOR CRYING - AS RESULTS IN THEM RECEIVING COMFORT FROM BEING FED - ENCOURAGING THEM TO CRY
• PARENT COMFORTS BABY = NEGATIVELY REINFORCED - AS THEIR COMFORT REMOVES THE CRYING OF THE BABY
• THEY ARE THEREFORE MORE LIKELY TO COMFORT BABY AGAIN IF IT CRIES
• BEHAVIOUR OF INFANT = POSITIVELY REINFORCING FOR CAREGIVER - AS THEY GAIN PLEASURE FROM SMILES BY THE INFANT
• REINFORCEMENT PROCESS = RECIPROCAL - STRENGTHENS ATTACHMENT BETWEEN INFANT AND CAREGIVER

EVALUATION . . .

• (-VE) LEARNING THEORY = LARGELY BASED ON STUDIES OF NON-HUMAN ANIMALS
• POSES PROBLEMS REGARDING GENERALISABILITY
• HUMANS = MORE COMPLEX IN TERMS OF EMOTIONAL AND INTELLECTUAL FUNCTIONING
• THEREFORE MAY LACK VALIDITY
• (-VE) THEORY = REDUCTIONIST
• IGNORES ANY EVOLUTIONARY BASIS FOR ATTACHMENT
• SUCH AS BOWLBYS THEORY OF ATTACHMENT
• WHICH SUGGESTS FORMING ATTACHMENTS = INNATE
• (+VE) ANIMAL STUDIES = HIGHLY CONTROLLED
• INCREASES INTERNAL VALIDITY - EXTRANEOUS VARIABLES = CONTROLLED
• MAKES IT EASIER TO ASSESS INFLUENCE OF COMFORT ON ATTACHMENT