Transcript Why do babies develop attachments

Why do babies develop
attachments?
Lesson one
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?
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 .......
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
Example of Little Albert
• See additional sheet which explains Little
Albert’s fear of white rats
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
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
Learning Theory
Dollard
• Behaviour is acquired through conditioning.
This is based on classical and operant
conditioning. An infant’s 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
Plenary
• Does Harlow’s 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?