Learning theory of attachment Flashcards
(16 cards)
What is an UCS
A stimulus that produces an innate action (milk)
What is an UR
An innate response (pleasure from being fed)
What is a NS
A stimulus that doesn’t naturally produce a response (mother)
What is a CS
A new stimulus that causes a learned response (mother)
What is a CR
A learned response (pleasure from mother)
Before conditioning
UCS of food leads to UCR of pleasure
During conditioning
NS of mother is paired with UCS of food
After conditioning
CS of other leads to CR of pleasure
Who do babies learn to attach to
Whoever feeds them
How is attachment aquired
Classical conditioning
How is attachment maintained
Operant conditioning
Positive reinforcement in attachment
An infant cries and is rewarded with food, the infant continues to cry to keep receiving food.
Negative reinforcement in attachment
Mother feeds to avoid the unpleasant consequence of baby crying.
Human contradictory research that food causes attachment
Schaffer and Emerson found babies bonded with whoever responded to them, not fed them.
Animal contradictory research that food causes attachment
Harlow’s monkeys showed babies choose comfort to form attachment rather than food.
Learning theory ignoring other factors that contribute to attachment
Interactions such as reciprocity and interactional synchrony are associated.
