Principles of classical conditioning

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AcquisitionAcquisition refers to the initial stage of the learning or conditioning process. In this stage, particular re-sponse is being associated with a particular stimulus to the point where we can say the organism has "acquired" the response. For example a parrot is taught to repeat the spe-cific words each time the door bell rings. When-ever he will hear a bell he will repeat those words.

ExtinctionExtinction is when the occurrences of a condi-tioned response decrease or disappear. In classical conditioning, this happens when a conditioned stimulus is no longer paired with an uncondi-tioned stimulus.

For example: If door bell is replaced with knock-ing of the door, the parrot will forget talking in re-sponse to the door bell after 4-6 months of this change.

Spontaneous RecoverySpontaneous Recovery is the reappearance of the conditioned response after a rest period or period of lessened response. For example The Door bell again starts ringing and the parrot is told to repeat the words each time the bell rings. It will again acquire this response.

Stimulus GeneralizationStimulus Generalization is the act or process of responding to a stimulus similar to but distinct from the conditioned stimulus. For Example: If the mobile tone is similar to the sound of the door bell, the parrot will start talk-ing whenever the mobile rings.

DiscriminationDiscrimination is the ability to differentiate between a conditioned stimulus and other stimuli that have not been paired with an unconditioned stimulus.For example: The parrot will not talk in response to the knocking of door or playing of music.

conclusionIn reality, people do not respond exactly like Pavlov's dogs. There are, however, numerous real-world applications for classical conditioning. For example, many dog trainers use classical conditioning techniques to help people train their pets.These techniques are also useful in the treatment of phobias or anxiety problems. Teachers are able to apply classical conditioning in the class by cre-ating a positive classroom environment to help students overcome anxiety or fear. Pairing an anx-iety-provoking situation, such as performing in front of a group, with pleasant surroundings helps the student learn new associations