classical conditioning Flashcards
how do people learn through classical conditioning?
via association
define ‘unconditioned stimulus’
stimuli which naturally elicits a response
define ‘unconditioned response’
the natural response to an unconditioned stimulus
define ‘neutral stimulus’
a stimulus which does not naturally elicit a response
define ‘conditioned stimulus’
a neutral stimulus that, when paired with an unconditioned stimulus elicits the same response
define ‘conditioned response’
a response that is learned by pairing the originally neutral stimulus with the unconditioned stimulus
state the 5 concepts of classical conditioning
- generalisation
- discrimination
- extinction
- spontaneous recovery
- one trial learning
describe ‘generalisation’
extension of the association from the original stimulus to similar stimuli
describe ‘discrimination’
the conditioned response is only produced by the original stimulus and not similar stimuli
describe ‘extinction’
the conditioned response gradually dying out after the conditioned and unconditioned stimulus are not presented together for a period of time
describe ‘spontaneous recovery’
a previously extinguished conditioned response reappears
describe ‘one trial learning’
learning takes place in a single pairing of a response and stimulus, and is not strengthened over time by repeated exposure
what is a strength of classical conditioning (PEE)?
- supporting evidence pavlov
a strength of classical conditioning is the supporting evidence from pavlov’s study. dogs were conditioned to salivate at the sound of a metronome as this neutral stimulus was paired consistently with an unconditioned stimulus (food). 11 drops of saliva were collected when the metronome sounded without the food, after 45 seconds. therefore, this quantitative analysis suggests that learning through classical conditioning is a credible explanation of learning behaviours.
what is a weakness of classical conditioning (PEE)?
- pavlov criticism
a weakness of classical conditioning is that the supporting evidence from pavlov lacks generalisability. the research was done on dogs which have different cerebral cortexes to humans. the cerebral cortex plays a role in memory, problem solving and reasoning. therefore, these findings cannot accurately represent the way humans learn.
what is a strength of classical conditioning (PEECA)?
- supporting evidence watson and rayner
a strength of classical conditioning is that it is supported by the study of Watson and Rayner. they classically conditioned little Albert to develop a phobia of a white rat by introducing it at the same time as banging a metal bar. Albert associated the scary noise with the rat so began to cry at the sight of only the rat. The study also supports the idea of generalisation because similar stimuli such as a santa mask also produced the same conditioned response. therefore, this suggests that children can develop phobias through classical conditioning. however, the study lacks reliability. Albert was an unusual child who grew up in a hospital setting so whilst this also reduces the generalisability to other children, it also means it is unethical to easily replicate and check for consistency.