Classical Conditioning Flashcards
What is classical conditioning?
Learning through association. Passive, based on a reflex
Unconditioned Stimulus
anything that produces a natural unlearned response. E.g. food.
Unconditioned response
a response that occurs naturally without any form of learning (reflex) E.g. Salivate
Neutral Stimulus
an environmental stimulus that does not naturally bring about a response. E.g. Bell
Conditioned stimulus
a stimulus that has been associated with an unconditioned stimulus so that it now produces the same response. E.g. Bell
Conditioned response
a behaviour that is shown in response to a learned stimulus. E.g. Salivate
Generalisation
producing the same CR to similar stimuli to the CS. E.g. salivating to similar sounds of the bell
Discrimination
only producing the CR to a specific stimuli. E.g. salivating to one bell sound
Extinction
removal of the association. Continued presenting the CS in the absence of the UCS. E.g. present the bell without the food salivating response stops.
Spontaneous recovery
repairing the CS with the UCS and the relationship is back and just as strong. E.g. Bell and Food again, salivating to bell back.
+Supported by: Pavlov.
Evidence that dogs can be classically conditioned to salivate (CR) to a bell (CS) through association.
+Supported by: Watson and Rayner.
Evidence that a baby (little albert) can learn to be afraid of white rats (CS) when presented with a loud noise (UCS).
+Usefulness
treatment of phobias. E.g. systematic desensitisation is based on the principles of classical conditioning because it uses extinction.
+Scientific
use of animal research and controlled experiments to make observable behaviour more objective and repeatable (reliable)
-Animal Research
Difficult to generalise the results of animals to human beings as we are not 100% the same genetically. Furthermore our behaviour and social environment is more complex.
