Classical ConditioningClassical Conditioning

Chapter 6 PsychologyChapter 6 Psychology

LearningLearning

Learning: some kind of change in behavior or knowledge that is long-lasting due to an increase in one’s experience

Experience is key to the learning process. Humans learn best through association -

our minds naturally connect events that occur in sequence Called Associative Learning

Learning: some kind of change in behavior or knowledge that is long-lasting due to an increase in one’s experience

Experience is key to the learning process. Humans learn best through association -

our minds naturally connect events that occur in sequence Called Associative Learning

BehaviorismBehaviorism John B. Watson (1913)

Founder of the Behaviorist view of psychology

Urged colleagues to discard reference to inner thoughts and feelings and focus on observable behavior

“The theoretical goal [of Behaviorism] is the prediction and control of behavior. Introspection forms no essential part of its methods.”

John B. Watson (1913) Founder of the Behaviorist view of

psychology Urged colleagues to discard

reference to inner thoughts and feelings and focus on observable behavior

“The theoretical goal [of Behaviorism] is the prediction and control of behavior. Introspection forms no essential part of its methods.”

Classical ConditioningClassical Conditioning

A type of learning in which a stimulus acquires the capacity to evoke a response that was originally evoked by another stimulus.

Sometimes called Pavlovian Conditioning after its first pioneer - Ivan Pavlov

A type of learning in which a stimulus acquires the capacity to evoke a response that was originally evoked by another stimulus.

Sometimes called Pavlovian Conditioning after its first pioneer - Ivan Pavlov

Who was Ivan Pavlov?Who was Ivan Pavlov?

Nobel Prize-winning work on digestion

Studied the role of saliva in the digestive process of dogs

Stumbled onto “psychic reflexes”

Nobel Prize-winning work on digestion

Studied the role of saliva in the digestive process of dogs

Stumbled onto “psychic reflexes”

Discoveries were purely accidental

Psychologists for years have modified and replicated Pavlov’s findings

Discoveries were purely accidental

Psychologists for years have modified and replicated Pavlov’s findings

Pavlov’s Accidental Findings

Pavlov’s Accidental Findings

Subjects: dogs; restrained in harnesses in an experimental chamber

Saliva collected through a surgically implanted tube in the salivary gland

Pavlov would present meat powder to the dog and collect the resulting saliva

Noticed that dogs accustomed to the procedure would salivate before the meat powder was presented

Subjects: dogs; restrained in harnesses in an experimental chamber

Saliva collected through a surgically implanted tube in the salivary gland

Pavlov would present meat powder to the dog and collect the resulting saliva

Noticed that dogs accustomed to the procedure would salivate before the meat powder was presented

Experimental ChamberExperimental Chamber

Further StudiesFurther Studies

To investigate further, Pavlov paired the presentation of meat powder with various stimuli that would stand out (tone, bell)

After the tone and meat powder were presented together a number of times, then the tone was presented alone

Even with the tone alone, the dogs responded by salivating

To investigate further, Pavlov paired the presentation of meat powder with various stimuli that would stand out (tone, bell)

After the tone and meat powder were presented together a number of times, then the tone was presented alone

Even with the tone alone, the dogs responded by salivating

TerminologyTerminology

Neutral Stimulus: stimulus that elicits no response prior to conditioning

Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS): in classical conditioning, a stimulus that unconditionally - naturally and automatically - triggers a response

Unconditioned Response (UCR): in classical conditioning, the unlearned, naturally occuring response to the UCS

Neutral Stimulus: stimulus that elicits no response prior to conditioning

Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS): in classical conditioning, a stimulus that unconditionally - naturally and automatically - triggers a response

Unconditioned Response (UCR): in classical conditioning, the unlearned, naturally occuring response to the UCS

TerminologyTerminology

Conditioned Stimulus (CS): in classical conditioning, an originally irrelevant stimulus that, after association with an UCS, comes to trigger a conditioned response

Conditioned Response (CR): in classical conditioning, the learned response to a previously neutral conditioned stimulus

Conditioned Stimulus (CS): in classical conditioning, an originally irrelevant stimulus that, after association with an UCS, comes to trigger a conditioned response

Conditioned Response (CR): in classical conditioning, the learned response to a previously neutral conditioned stimulus

Classical Conditioning in Daily Life!

Classical Conditioning in Daily Life!

Conditioned Fears - Phobias are a good example of this. Many irrational fears can be traced back to experiences

Conditioned Fears - Phobias are a good example of this. Many irrational fears can be traced back to experiences

Other Emotional Responses - advertisers use their products with UCSs that elicit pleasant emotions (attractive persons, enjoyable surroundings)

Other Emotional Responses - advertisers use their products with UCSs that elicit pleasant emotions (attractive persons, enjoyable surroundings)

Classical Conditioning in Daily Life!

Classical Conditioning in Daily Life!

Physiological Responses - Immune system functioning; when an infectious agent invades your body, your immune system triggers the release of antibodies to fight the invasion

Physiological Responses - Immune system functioning; when an infectious agent invades your body, your immune system triggers the release of antibodies to fight the invasion

Immunosuppression - a decrease in the production of antibodies Many studies have

been done using this concept with animals

Immunosuppression - a decrease in the production of antibodies Many studies have

been done using this concept with animals

Other Important Terms!Other Important Terms! Acquisition: the initial stange of learning

something Extinction: the gradual weakening and

disappearance of a conditioned response tendency

Spontaneous recovery: the reappearance of an extinguished response after a period of nonexposure to the conditioned stimulus

Generalization: occurs when an organism that has learned a response to a specific stimulus responds in the same way to new stimuli that are similar to the original stimuli

Acquisition: the initial stange of learning something

Extinction: the gradual weakening and disappearance of a conditioned response tendency

Spontaneous recovery: the reappearance of an extinguished response after a period of nonexposure to the conditioned stimulus

Generalization: occurs when an organism that has learned a response to a specific stimulus responds in the same way to new stimuli that are similar to the original stimuli

More Important Terms!More Important Terms!

Discrimination: occurs when an organism that has learned a response to a specific stimulus does not respond in the same way to new stimuli that are similar to the original stimulus

High Order Conditioning: a conditioned stimulus functions as if it were an unconditioned stimulus

Discrimination: occurs when an organism that has learned a response to a specific stimulus does not respond in the same way to new stimuli that are similar to the original stimulus

High Order Conditioning: a conditioned stimulus functions as if it were an unconditioned stimulus

Little AlbertLittle Albert

Experiment conducted by John B. Watson Studied “Little Albert” an 11-month old boy Initially the child was unafraid of a little

white rat (live) Then Watson paired the presentation of the

rat with a loud, startling sound (striking gong with hammer)

Little Albert showed fear to loud noise

Experiment conducted by John B. Watson Studied “Little Albert” an 11-month old boy Initially the child was unafraid of a little

white rat (live) Then Watson paired the presentation of the

rat with a loud, startling sound (striking gong with hammer)

Little Albert showed fear to loud noise

Little AlbertLittle Albert

After several pairings, the rat was established as a CS - eliciting a fear response

Watson then exposed the boy to other similar stimuli - white and furry (rabbit, dog, fur coat, and a Santa Clause mask)

Little Albert’s fear response was generalized to the variety of stimuli

After several pairings, the rat was established as a CS - eliciting a fear response

Watson then exposed the boy to other similar stimuli - white and furry (rabbit, dog, fur coat, and a Santa Clause mask)

Little Albert’s fear response was generalized to the variety of stimuli