Learning•The process by which a relatively lasting change in potential behavior occurs as a result of practice or experience.

Classical conditioning:

•A form of associative learning

•Presentations of a neutral stimulus & a stimulus of some significance

•Elicits a response

•Pavlov’s dog (1927)

Ivan Pavlov

• Ivan PavloIvan Petrovich Pavlov (September 14 1849 - February 27 1936) was a Russian physiologist, psychologist and physician who first described the phenomenon now known as conditioning in experiments with dogs. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1904.

Ivan Pavlov

Pavlov became interested in studying reflexes when he saw that the dogs drooled without the proper stimulus. Although no food was in sight, their saliva still dribbled. It turned out that the dogs were reacting to lab coats. Every time the dogs were served food, the person who served the food was wearing a lab coat. Therefore, the dogs reacted as if food was on its way whenever they saw a lab coat.

Pavlov recreates these conditions in an experiment by ringing a bell a few seconds before dogs were fed. A collection tube placed by the dogs’ salivary glands allowed for accurate salivation levels to be recorded. For a period of time the bell was always rung before the meat was given. Subsequently, upon ringing the bell and not presenting the meat, the dogs salivated . The conditioning had been achieved.

The Experiment

Neutral Stimulus:• Bells are a neutral stimulus—natural

reaction—dogs ears prick when bells are rung.

Before conditioning

• When bells are rung, no salivation occurs in the dogs. The tone of the bell is not associated with meat.

Neutral Stimulus:

• Bells are a neutral stimulus—natural reaction—dogs ears prick when bells rung—no salivation occurs

Before conditioning

• Meat—causes dog to salivate

Unconditioned Stimulus:

• The meat (food) is the—UCS—unconditioned stimulus

• Salivation is a natural response when food is placed in dog’s mouths

• Salivation is a natural response when food is placed in dog’s mouths

Unconditioned Response:

• UCR—a natural, innate, reflexive response—not associated with previous learning

• Always brought about by Unconditioned Stimuli—UCS

• This is the response to be conditioned

Salivation = UCR (unconditioned response)

Unconditioned & Stimulus Response

Meat (food) = UCS (unconditioned stimulus)

UCR ALWAYS BROUGHT ABOUT BY UCS

The Conditioning:

• Meat—causes dog to salivate

Conditioned Stimulus:

Bloom’s Taxonomy

Howard Gardner's theory of multiple

intelligences