In other words, in young rats even aversive things are reinforcing in Mom’s presence, even if Mom is the source of the aversive stimuli. As Sullivan and colleagues wrote, “attachment [by such an infant] to the caretaker has evolved to ensure that the infant forms a bond to that caregiver regardless of the quality of care received.” Any kind of mother in a storm. If this applies to humans, it helps explain why individuals abused as kids are as adults prone toward relationships in which they are abused by their partner.
