Learning Theory

Learning Theory

1. Classical conditioning

   • Learning through association.
     • Food (Unconditioned stimulus) naturally produces a sense of pleasure in a child (unconditioned response).
       • The person who feeds the infant initially (neutral stimulus) provides no natural response but over time the “feeder” eventually produces the pleasure associated with the food
         • Pleasure now becomes a conditioned response and the feeder the conditioned stimulus.
           • This association between an individual and a sense of pleasure is the attachment bond.

2. Operant conditioning

   • Dollard and Miller (1950).
     • All humans possess primary motives or drives (sex, hunger, thirst)
       • Any stimuli satisfying theses drives are primary reinforcers and are positively reinforcing.
         • The mother or caregiver provides the food (primary reinforcer) and so reduces the drive of hunger.
           • The caregiver provided the food and so becomes the secondary reinforcer
             • From then on the infant seeks to be with the person who has provided the food as they are now a source of reward and the infant has become attached.
               • The infant learns that crying will maintain the caregiver’s attention and food supply, so attachment behaviours such as separation distress are formed.