Chapter 4a Flashcards
Learning and memory
Learning the process of acquiring knowledge, skills, or behaviours through experience
Behaviourist approaches to learning theories that propose learning occurs by interacting with the external environment
Three phase process of classical conditioning
Classical conditioning is a process of learning through the involuntary association between a neutral stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus that results in a conditioned response.
It involves three stages:
1. before conditioning
2. during conditioning
3. after conditioning.
Classical conditioning is a form of involuntary learning whereby the subject can be conditioned without making any conscious effort to learn the conditioned response.
Before conditioning
Before conditioning is the first stage of classical conditioning, during which the neutral
stimulus has no associations and therefore does not produce any significant response. This first stage of classical conditioning involves the:
• neutral stimulus, which is the stimulus that produces no significant response prior to conditioning.
• unconditioned stimulus, which is the stimulus that produces an unconscious response.
• unconditioned response, which is a naturally occurring behaviour in response to
a stimulus.
Before conditioning represents the natural condition that comes before any learned response. At this stage, there is no conditioned stimulus or conditioned response. Instead, there is only a neutral stimulus that produces no significant response, as well as an unconditioned stimulus that automatically produces an unconditioned response.
During conditioning
During conditioning is the second stage of classical conditioning, during which the neutral stimulus is repeatedly paired with the unconditioned stimulus, producing the unconditioned response. During this stage, the neutral stimulus (NS) is repeatedly paired with the unconditioned stimulus (UCS), which in turn produces the unconditioned response (UCR). The timing and order of presenting the neutral and unconditioned stimuli are important.
The neutral stimulus must be presented first, remaining until the unconditioned stimulus is presented within half a second. The unconditioned stimulus should not be presented any later than this.
In Pavlov’s experiments, this involved the repeated presentation of the sound of the bell (NS) with the dog’s food (UCS), which in turn produced the UCR of salivation. The bell was sounded first, and then the food was presented directly afterwards.
After conditioning
After conditioning is the third stage of classical conditioning, during which the neutral stimulus becomes the conditioned stimulus, producing a conditioned response. This is the final stage of classical conditioning. By this point, the conditioned response has been learnt. The neutral stimulus is now referred to as the conditioned stimulus, and its presentation alone will produce a conditioned response, which will be similar to the original unconditioned response.
The after conditioning stage of classical conditioning involves the:
• conditioned stimulus, which is the stimulus (originally the neutral stimulus) that produces a conditioned response after being repeatedly paired with an unconditioned stimulus.
• conditioned response, which is is the response that occurs involuntarily after the conditioned stimulus is presented.
Ivan pavlov conditioning connection to three phased process of classical conditioning
Ivan Pavlov conducted formative classical conditioning experiments on dogs during the 1890s. During these experiments, Pavlov classically conditioned dogs to salivate in response to the sound of a bell, which was repeatedly paired with the presentation of food (Pavlov, 1927). This example will be used throughout this lesson given Pavlov’s historical influence on the establishment of classical conditioning as a behaviourist approach to learning.
Reference to remember
Ivan pavlovs connections to 3 phase process of classical conditioning
