Learning Theory Flashcards
Learning theory is also known as the
Behaviourist theory
What does Learning theory focus on?
The baby wanting its needs fulfilled
Conditioning is given as an
Explanation for now attachments form
Classical Conditioning: this is about learning
associations between different things in our environment
Classical Conditioning: getting food naturally gives a baby
pleasure
Classical Conditioning: the babies desire for food is fulfilled whenever
the mother is around to feed them
Classical Conditioning: an association is formed between
mother and food
Classical Conditioning: whenever the mother is around
the baby will feel pleasure - ie attachment
Operant Conditioning: Dollard and Miller date
1950
Operant Conditioning: Dollard and Miller claimed that babies feel discomfort so
they have a desire to get food to remove the discomfort
Operant Conditioning: Dollard and Miller: they find that if they cry
their mother will come and feed them
Operant Conditioning: Dollard and Miller: the mother is therefore associated with
food and the baby will want to be close to her
Learning theory has
strengths and weaknesses
the learning theory of attachment has a lot of
support from scientific research
why is learning theory reductionist?
it tries to explain complex attachment using simple stimulus-response processes
