AQA A-Level Psychology Study Guide
Paper 1: Attachment
Learning Theories of Attachment
Comprehensive AQA A-Level Psychology Study Guide
Includes: AO1 & AO3 notes • Summary of key ideas •
Example essay plan • Model 8-mark answer
, Learning Theory of Attachment
According to the Learning Theory of Attachment - all behaviour is learnt
rather than innate. The theory proposes that children are born as blank
states and are shaped by their experiences.
The Learning Theory of Attachment explains the development of
attachment through two ways:
1. Classical conditioning
2. Operant conditioning
AO1
1. Classical Conditioning
● Classical conditioning explains the development of attachment
through the association between an infant, food + satisfying hunger
and a caregiver.
● According to classical conditioning, “food” serves as an
unconditional stimulus - and the feeling of pleasure from being
fed serves as a conditional response.
● The caregiver acts as a neutral stimulus - as a child has yet to
associate the caregiver to “feeding”.
● When the same caregiver provides feeding to a child, overtime, the
child then associates the caregiver with “feeding” / “food”.
○ Here, the caregiver (neutral stimulus) becomes paired with
the food/feeding (unconditional stimulus) , and once
paired, the caregiver is now a conditional stimulus.
● Through feeding the child, the caregiver provides satisfaction to
the child's hunger (conditional response) - thus, they become the
provider of the conditional response.
○ Thus, the child associates the caregiver with satisfaction of
hunger.
● Attachment between child and caregiver is then formed.
Paper 1: Attachment
Learning Theories of Attachment
Comprehensive AQA A-Level Psychology Study Guide
Includes: AO1 & AO3 notes • Summary of key ideas •
Example essay plan • Model 8-mark answer
, Learning Theory of Attachment
According to the Learning Theory of Attachment - all behaviour is learnt
rather than innate. The theory proposes that children are born as blank
states and are shaped by their experiences.
The Learning Theory of Attachment explains the development of
attachment through two ways:
1. Classical conditioning
2. Operant conditioning
AO1
1. Classical Conditioning
● Classical conditioning explains the development of attachment
through the association between an infant, food + satisfying hunger
and a caregiver.
● According to classical conditioning, “food” serves as an
unconditional stimulus - and the feeling of pleasure from being
fed serves as a conditional response.
● The caregiver acts as a neutral stimulus - as a child has yet to
associate the caregiver to “feeding”.
● When the same caregiver provides feeding to a child, overtime, the
child then associates the caregiver with “feeding” / “food”.
○ Here, the caregiver (neutral stimulus) becomes paired with
the food/feeding (unconditional stimulus) , and once
paired, the caregiver is now a conditional stimulus.
● Through feeding the child, the caregiver provides satisfaction to
the child's hunger (conditional response) - thus, they become the
provider of the conditional response.
○ Thus, the child associates the caregiver with satisfaction of
hunger.
● Attachment between child and caregiver is then formed.
