Attachment - Learning Theory

Attachment - Learning Theory

1. Strengths:

2. Classical Conditioning

   • Food is the unconditioned stimulus that produces pleasure (unconditioned response)
     • The mother who provides the food then becomes associated with the pleasure and becomes a conditioned stimulus
       • According to operant conditioning, food satisifies the infants hunger and makes them feel comfortable again (drive reduction)
         • Food is therefore the primary reinforcer
           • The mother is associated with the food and therefore becomes the secondary reinforcer which means the infant becomes attached to the mother because she is the source of the reward

3. Operant conditioning

   • Everytime an action results in a pleasant consequence, it therefore becomes 'reinforced'
   • If an action results in an unpleasant consequence, it's less likely that the behaviour will be repeated
   • A hungry infant feels uncomfortable and creates a drive to reduce the discomfort
     • When the infant is fed, the drive is reduced and this produces feelings of pleasure
       • Food becomes a primary reinforcer because it's reinforced behaviour in order to avoid discomfort
         • The person who supplies the food is associated with avoiding the discomfort and becomes the secondary reinforcer and a source of reward
           • Attachment occurs because the child seeks the person who can supply the reward