AP PsychologyMr. Ng

UNIT 7: LEARNING

Module 21:Classical

Conditioning

Learning•Learning: a relatively permanent change in behavior as a result of experience.•Conditioning: the process of learning associations.•Two types of conditioning: •Classical Conditioning (Ivan Pavlov)•Operant Conditioning (B.F. Skinner)

Classical Conditioning•Associative Learning: learning that certain events occur together.•Ex. Lightning & Thunder

•Behaviorism: science based on observable behavior. (John Watson)

Ivan Pavlov(1849 – 1936)

Classical ConditioningJohn B. Watson(1878 – 1958)

Studied Pavlov’s work.

Classical Conditioning•Classical Conditioning: Learning which takes place when two or more stimuli are presented together.•Can be used to overcome fears, increasing or decreasing immune functioning, and increasing or decreasing attraction of people or products.

•Stimulus: a change in the environment that elicits (brings about) a response.•Ex. Doorbell, bright light…•Neutral stimulus (NS): a stimulus that initially does not elicit a response. •At first, subject does not react to neutral stimulus.

Classical Conditioning

•Unconditioned stimulus (US): stimulus that unconditionally, automatically triggers a response.•Unconditioned response (UR): an automatic, involuntary reaction to an unconditioned stimulus.•Conditioned stimulus (CS): a neutral stimulus (NS) at first, but when paired with the US, it elicits the conditioned response (CR).

Classical Conditioning

•Conditioned response (CR): the learned response to a previously neutral, but now conditioned stimulus.•Acquisition: learning to give a known response to a new stimulus, the neutral stimulus.•Ex. Makaveli/Nadia acquired a response to a new stimulus (light).

Classical Conditioning

•Extinction: The diminishing response that occurs when the CS no longer signals an impending US.•Ex. Turning on light without hitting Mak/Nadia with a paper ball several times.•Spontaneous recovery: after extinction, and without training, the previous CS suddenly elicits the CR again temporarily.

Classical Conditioning

•Pavlov’s Classic ExperimentClassical Conditioning

Classical Conditioning•Associating onion breath to sexual arousal!

•Generalization: The tendency to respond to stimuli similar to the conditioned stimulus.•Ex. Pavlov’s dog would salivate when a different tone was played or if Mak/Nadia flinched when a different light was flashed.

Classical Conditioning

•Discrimination: the learned ability to distinguish between a conditioned stimulus and other irrelevant stimuli.•Ex. Different anxiety over math test versus ACT.

Classical Conditioning

Cancer patients after chemotherapy.

Classical Conditioning

•What did Pavlov teach us?•All organisms can learn to adapt to their environment.•Learning is a process that is observable.

•Pavlov’s work paved the way for Watson’s “Little Albert” experiments.

Classical Conditioning