Learning Theory

Learning Theory

1. Classical Conditioning ( Learning through association )

   • Food (USC) produces pleasure
     • Person who feeds (CS)the infant becomes associated with food
       • Feeder produces pleasure associated with food; pleasure now becomes a (CR)
         • A sense of pleasure is the attachment bond

2. Operant Conditioning

   • Hungry infant feels uncomfortable causing drive to reduce discomfort
     • Infants is fed , drive is reduced producing pleasure (reward)
       • Food=Primary Reinforcer as it reinforces the behaviour in order to avoid discomfort.
         • Person who supplies food is associated with avoiding discomfort = secondary reinforcer

3. Evaluation

   • Shaffer and Emerson (1964)
     • Found less than half of infants had a primary attachment to the person who usually fed them
   • Lorenz
     • Found goslings imprinted on the first moving ting they sa
   • Harlow (1959)
     • Monkeys became attached to soft mother rather than lactating mother