Developmental Psychology: Learning Theory Flashcards
Name the two types of conditioning that make up the Learning Theory
> Classical Conditioning
> Operant Conditioning
Describe Classical Conditioning
This involves learning through association. The infant is born reflex responses. The stimulus of food (US) produces a response of please (UR). The person providing the food becomes associated with the provision of food which creates pleasure, and therefore the parent becomes the conditioned stimulus. The food-giver becomes a source of pleasure irrespective of whether the food is supplied or not.
Describe Operant Conditioning
They suggested that when the infant feels hungry, they would also feel discomfort. They can only cry in response to show their distress, so a caregiver will feed them to make them feel comfortable again, so the food acts as the primary reinforcer. The caregiver who provides the food is the secondary reinforcer, as they are associated with food which creates pleasure. From then on the infant seeks out this person as they are a source of reward and pleasure. The infant becomes attached to this very person.
Name the study that used rhesus monkeys, and is used as an evaluation point
Harlow and Harlow
What was their procedure?
They used rhesus monkeys and put them in a cage with two artificial mothers, one was wire but provided food, and the other was just made of cloth.
What did they find?
They found that the rhesus monkeys would cling on to the cloth mother, and they formed an attachemnt with the cloth mother over the wire mother even thouh she provided food.
What conclusions were drawn from the results?
These results show that comfort is preferred over food, which goes against The Learning Theory
Name another study which goes against the Learning Theory
Schaffer and Emerson found that in their study, fewer than half of the infants had formed an attachment with the person who usually bathed, fed and changed them.
