Learning theory Flashcards
What does it argue?
that children learn to love who feeds them. Emphasizes the importance of food.
How does classical conditioning form an attachment?
Infant associates mother with food / feeding time, so she becomes a conditioned stimulus. This stimulus produces a feeling of pleasure (conditioned response), also known as mother love response.
Operant conditionings role?
babies cry for a response from caregiver (= positive reinforcement).
crying stops when mum responds (=negative reinforcement)
this interconnection strengthens attachment.
LIMITATION: animal evidence against food
lorenz maintained attachment regardless who fed geese. Harlows monkeys attached to soft mum over wired mum with milk.
LIMITATION: ignores other factors
such as reciprocity and interactional synchrony levels
who proposed it?
dollard and miller (1950)
what is the hunger drive?
an innate motivation to eat in order to reduce the primary drive of hunger
how does the hunger drive form attachments?
attachment is a secondary drive that is formed by the association between caregiver and satisfaction of primary drive.
LIMITATION: a newer explanation involving SLT.
hay and vespo (1988) argue parents teach children to love them by modeling and rewarding attachment behaviors.
