Classical Conditioning

Question 1

What is classical conditioning?

Answer 1

A conditioned stimulus paired with a unconditioned stimulus until the conditioned stimulus alone is sufficient to elicit the response.

Question 2

Pavlov 1927 : Aim

Answer 2

To investigate if dogs could learn to associate a neutral of a metronome with receiving food , producing a salivation response.

Question 3

Pavlov 1927 : Procedure

Answer 3

• Tube attached to their salivary glands
• Placed in an isolated, sound proofed room and restrained in a harness
• Fed a bowl of meat while metronome sounded

Question 4

Pavlov 1927 : Results

Answer 4

• Dogs learnt to salivate at the sound of the metronome even when food wasn’t presented with it.
• conditioned dogs started to salivate 9 seconds after hearing the metronome, by 45 seconds produced 11 drops of saliva.

Question 5

Pavlov 1972 : Conclusion

Answer 5

Possible to condition an automatic reflex to occur in presence of neutral stimulus.

Question 6

What is extinction?

Answer 6

Occurs when the association between the UCS and the CS no longer occurs so after a few trials of separating the two stimuli, the learned response is extinguished.

Question 7

What is spontaneous recovery?

Answer 7

After extinction, the association sometimes recurs for no apparent reason. This produces the response that was previously conditioned.

Question 8

What is stimulus generalisation?

Answer 8

The stimulus similar to the specific one can elicit the conditioned response.

Question 9

Evaluate Pavlov’s study

Answer 9

Generalisability - low - conducted on dogs, may not be the same in humans - disadvantage
Reliability - high - Controlled conditions - Advantage
Validity - low - Artificial setting - disadvantage
Application - Can be used to condition people to behave a certain way - Advantage

Question 10

Watson & Rayner 1920 : Aim

Answer 10

Investigate if you could classically condition a fear response in a child towards an animal by presenting it to an infant with a loud noise.

Question 11

Watson & Rayner 1920 : procedure

Answer 11

• Little Albert, 9 months old
• Shown white rat, monkey, rabbit and various masks
• Not afraid of animals however was afraid of loud noise
• When he was 11 months old, he was presented with with white rat and noise from a hammer was struck against steel bar.
• Each time Albert was presented the rat he would show fear responses

Question 12

Watson & Rayner 1920 : Results

Answer 12

The unconditioned stimulus resulted in his unconditioned response.

Question 13

Watson & Rayner 1920 : Conclusion

Answer 13

Classical conditioning can result in development of behaviours such as phobia

Question 14

Watson & Rayner evaluation

Answer 14

Generalisability- Low - one test subject, young, male - disadvantage
Reliability - High- controlled variables - Advantage
Ethics - Low - caused trauma and developed phobia - Disadvantage
Application - can be used to develop treatments for phobias - Advantage