Download Module 20: Classical Conditioning

Module 20: Classical Conditioning
Candy: Candy whistle.
The candy whistle can represent classical conditioning because it is an example of a
stimulus that can be conditioned. Similar to the bell in Pavlov’s experiment, trainers
could pair an unconditioned stimulus with the sound of a whistle repeatedly in order
to make the whistle the conditioned stimulus to trigger a response like salivation at
food or to make a pet do something you want it too.
Classical conditioning occurs involuntarily when we learn to associate two stimuli and
react appropriately. A formerly neutral stimulus comes to elicit the response that the
unconditioned stimulus first brought on.
Association is the process of learning to connect events that happen in sequence;
every stimulus needs a response.
Important People & their contributions:
Ivan Pavlov- A Russian neurophysiologist/physician who first attempted to study the
thoughts of dogs when they were presented with food causing them to salivate.
His Experiment: He presented dogs with food at the sound of a bell. Initially the food
caused the dogs to salivate but after much repetition the dogs began to salivate at the
sound of the bell rather than the sight of the food.
John B. Watson- The “father of behaviorism” who applied classical conditioning to a
human.
His Experiment: “Little Albert” Watson made an extremely loud and unpleasant noise
while he allowed the child to play with a white rabbit. Although, the child liked playing
with the rabbit until that point he came to hate the rabbit because he associated it with the
noise.
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Unconditioned stimulus (UCS)-Stimulus that automatically and naturally elicits a
response.
Ex. The food Pavlov gave the dogs.
Unconditioned response (UCR)- Unlearned, naturally occurring response to the UCS.
Ex. The dog’s salivation at the sight of the food.
Conditioned stimulus (CS)- Initially irrelevant stimulus that, after association with a
UCS, comes to trigger a conditioned response.
Ex. The sound of the bell.
Conditioned response (CR)- Learned response to a previously neutral stimulus.
Ex. The dog’s salivation at the sound of the bell.
Acquisition: The initial stage in classical conditioning when the neutral stimulus is
associated with an unconditioned stimulus.
 This kind of conditioning occurs faster when there is a small amount of time
between when the conditioned stimulus is presented and when the UCS is
presented.
Extinction can occur when the conditioned and unconditioned stimuli are not presented
together for a number of trials and therefore no longer triggers a conditioned response.
Spontaneous recovery can occur when the conditioned response shows up after a period
of rest.
 Ex. A few years later Albert sees a rabbit and feels uncomfortable and afraid.
Generalization is the tendency for stimuli similar to the CS to elicit the CR. It can be
adaptive and helpful for the survival of an organism if for instance an animal were to
generalize predators to avoid.
 Ex. Because they look similar to the white rabbit,
Albert also gets scared when he encounters a white
cat.
Discrimination is the learned ability to distinguish between a CS and another stimulus
that does not trigger the CR.
Frasier clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2c4_l2oe22U