Classical Conditioning

Introduction

• Classical Conditioning refers to a type of learning where a natural response is elicited by a previously neutral stimulus, which is associated with a natural stimulus.

• Key figures involved in the development of this theory include Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov who conducted important experiments on dogs.

Key Terms

• Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS): This is a stimulus that naturally or innately triggers a response.

• Unconditioned Response (UCR): This is the natural or innate response that is triggered by the Unconditioned Stimulus.

• Conditioned Stimulus (CS): This is a previously neutral stimulus that, after repeated pairing with the UCS, begins to produce a response.

• Conditioned Response (CR): This is the learned response to the formerly neutral, now Conditioned Stimulus.

Pavlov's Experiment

• Pavlov is best known for his experiments with dogs, where he used a bell (CS) and food (UCS) to induce salivation (CR).

• In these experiments, he would ring a bell each time the dogs were given food. Over time, the dogs began to salivate merely in response to the bell, even when no food was present.

Applications of Classical Conditioning

• Classical Conditioning principles have been applied to many fields, including education, behaviour therapy, advertising and animal training.

• Some psychological treatments, such as systematic desensitization used for treating phobias, are based on Classical Conditioning principles.

Limitations of Classical Conditioning

• One limitation of Classical Conditioning is that it can’t account for all types of learning, as it's principally focused on reflexive and automatic responses.

• Extinction, the weakening of a conditioned response when the UCS is no longer presented with the CS, can occur. After several pairings of the CS without the UCS, the response may decrease or disappear.

• Classical Conditioning also does not focus on cognitive processes that may be involved in learning, a limitation that led to the development of other learning theories such as Operant Conditioning.

Summary

• Classical Conditioning is essentially "associative learning" where a neutral stimulus becomes associated with an unconditioned stimulus to elicit a conditioned response.

• It is one of the key constructs of Learning, although it does have limitations and does not account for all types of learning.