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Classical
Conditioning:
The first groundbreaking learning
theory in psychology’s history.
Classical conditioning
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Discovered by Ivan Pavlov
(1849-1936)
Basic Pavlovian terminology
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Stimulus:
Response:
Conditioning:
Pavlov and his dogs
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Pavlov inserted tubes into
the salivary glands of dogs
to measure how much
saliva they produced when
given food.
He found that the mere
sight of food made them
drool, and later, even the
sound of the
experimenter’s footsteps!
He eventually realized that
he could teach dogs to
salivate to a bell!
The experiment
Pavlov’s Classical Conditioning Terms
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(US) Unconditioned stimulus: a stimulus that causes an automatic,
response
(UR) Unconditioned response: an automatic response to an unconditioned
stimulus
(NS) Neutral stimulus: a stimulus that has nothing to do with the
unconditioned response
(CS) Conditioned stimulus: An ordinarily neutral stimulus that leads to a
response after being paired with the unconditioned stimulus
(CR) Conditioned response: a learned response to a stimulus that was
previously neutral, or meaningless
A video clip: http://youtu.be/hhqumfpxuzI
Other classical conditioning concepts
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Extinction:
Spontaneous Recovery:
Applications of theory in therapy
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Classical conditioning can be used to cure people of their
fears and bad habits:
Systematic desensitization:
Flooding:
Counterconditioning:
Examples of real-life classical
conditioning
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Scary music in movies
Car accidents
Cat purring when it hears the sound of a can being opened
Phobias: Little Albert, 1920
A difficult class making you feel sick
Food or taste aversions: a subject who gets a cold or the flu shortly
after eating bananas might develop an aversion to the taste of
bananas
A classic clip from the classic show, The Office:
https://vimeo.com/35754924
Your turn: Classical conditioning and
advertising
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Classical conditioning is used very frequently in the media, specifically in advertising and
sometimes in Hollywood. The commercials you see on TV and the ads you see in magazines,
billboards, and on websites are often infused with a sophisticated use of Pavlov’s original theory.
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A car is just a car, and there are many brands that all can get you reliably from point A to point B.
In every class of products, from soft drinks to website hosting companies, there are many
comparable choices in every category. So how do companies and advertising agencies work to
get you to buy their product time and time again? The answer is often classical conditioning.
They want you to implicitly and automatically feel a positive association with their product over all
of the other ones, so you will reach for it on the store shelf, even if you don’t have a logical
reason why.
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So what are some of these primal emotions that are exploited? You might be familiar with the
expression, “sex sells.” This would perhaps be the first and most obvious example. Another
primal emotion is fear. In political attack ads, what strategies are used to paint the opponent in a
harsh and negative light? Laughter can be used as well. Warmth and security can also be
exploited in a variety of ways, too. These are just a few ideas to get you started.
Find THREE examples of classical conditioning!
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http://ezinearticles.com/?Top-10-Solid-Examples-of-Pavlov-Classical-Conditioning-inAction&id=2883783
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/02/04/the-14-best-super-bowl-2013-commercialsvideo.html
http://www.slate.com/articles/business/ad_report_card/2013/02/_2013_super_bowl_ads_godadd
y_budweiser_mercedes_blackberry_samsung_and_the.html
Brainstorm a list of your favorite products, stores, and companies. Use YouTube and Google to
locate examples of commercials and print advertisements that demonstrate classical conditioning
principles. Cut and paste pictures, screenshots, and/or a links to the website with the video
below.
Play the Pavlov’s Dog Game!
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http://nobelprize.org/medicine/educational/pavlov/index.html