Why do babies develop attachments?

1
Why do babies develop attachments?

• Lesson one

2
Getting you thinking....

• Look at the articles about Madonna and Angelina
  Jolie adopting children from other cultures
• Do you think adopted children have the same
  chances to live the same happy home life as that
  of children brought up in their own home?
• Do you think there are any particular problems
  children of international adoptions may face?

3
Classical Conditioning Pavlov 1927

• Behaviour learned through stimulus response
  associations.
• It is not the object, nor the situation that
  causes us fear but the conditioned response to
  the object or situation
• Phobias are a good example of classical
  conditioning .......

4
Phobias

• Person climbs to the top of a tall building and
  looks down (environmental stimulus)
• Experiences nausea and dizziness (physiological
  response)
• Associates the physiological response with the
  environmental stimulus and therefore avoids all
  heights and it becomes a phobia

5
Example of Little Albert

• See additional sheet which explains Little
  Alberts fear of white rats

6
Operant Conditioning Skinner 1974

• Our behaviour is influenced by the behaviour of
  our actions
• Worked with animals to form his theories
• Noticed that when he put an animal in a new cage,
  they would explore
• If they pressed a lever and food came out they
  quickly learned to press it again and again

7
Reinforcement

• If a behaviour produces a reward (positive
  reinforcement) it is likely to be repeated
• If a behaviour produces a punishment then it is
  not likely to be repeated
• If a behaviour switches off something negative
  (negative reinforcement) then it is likely to be
  repeated
• Apply this to a baby using page 51 of NT

8
Learning TheoryDollard

• Behaviour is acquired through conditioning. This
  is based on classical and operant conditioning.
  An infants attachment will be to the person who
  gives the greatest pleasure
• The evidence provided by Harlow and Harlow
  explains the learning theory in attachment terms
  see additional handout

9
Plenary

• Does Harlows evidence support or contradict the
  ideas from the learning theory?
• Can we relate information from animal studies to
  humans?
• Do humans place more importance on attachments
  and love than feeding and rewards?