Classical Conditioning and Pavlov (1927)

Question 1

What is classical conditioning

Answer 1

Simplest form of associative learning discovered by Pavlov

Question 2

What is the unconditioned stimulus

Answer 2

What is not learned

Question 3

What is the neutral stimulus

Answer 3

Produced same response at unconditioned stimulus

Question 4

3 phases conditioning takes place in

Answer 4

Before
During
After

Question 5

Before phase of conditioning (ucs)

Answer 5

Unconditioned stimulus triggers reflex response
Neutral stimulus does not produce this response
-dog salivating to food

Question 6

During phase of conditioning

Answer 6

Unconditioned stimulus and neutral stimulus are experienced contiguously (pairing)
Neutral stimulus happens before unconditioned stimulus
Pairing has to take place few times for conditioning to occur

Question 7

After phase of conditioning

Answer 7

After pairing
Neutral stimulus produces same response as unconditioned stimulus
Neutral stimulus now conditioned and conditioned response is produced

Question 8

Extinction

Answer 8

When conditioned response weakens over time (spray water gun on the word CAN but continue saying can without shooting water gun for long period of time, so flinching stops)

Question 9

Spontaneous recovery

Answer 9

Conditioned response reappears
(Don’t spray water gun for long time so flinching stops, then start spraying water gun on word CAN again so flinching happens again)

Question 10

Stimulus generalisation

Answer 10

Conditioned stimulus occurs with similar stimuli
(Flinch at words that sound similar to CAN)

Question 11

Strengths

Answer 11

1) Pavlov (1927) showed dogs being classically conditioned to salivate
Watson and Rayner (1920) showed fear response could be conditioned in a human baby
Firm evidence supporting existence of classical conditioning

2) Collecting saliva in cannula prevented loss of saliva, high reliability
Neutral stimuli chosen carefully
Reduced extraneous variables, likely that salivation in response to ccs was due to conditioning

Question 12

CA to strengths

Answer 12

Some of Pavlov’s detailed are questionable
He believed link between neutral and unconditioned stimulus was contiguity

Question 13

Weaknesses

Answer 13

1) Classical conditioning only explains acquisition of simple reflex responses
Cannot explain more complex chains of learned behaviour
Only partial explanation for learning

2) Humans brains structurally different to dogs, unreliable, ungeneralisable

Question 14

What was Pavlov’s experiment

Answer 14

Dog’s salivating to food

Question 15

Aim

Answer 15

Explain role of conditioned reflexes in eating behaviour of dogs
Explain how salivation becomes associated with new stimuli unrelated to food and properties

Question 16

Dependent variable

Answer 16

Dog saliva collect from salivary gland using cannula

Question 17

Procedure

Answer 17

Measured salivation in response to neutral stimulus (specific sound)
Paired NS with unconditioned stimulus of food (20 times)
Varied presentation with forward and backward conditioning
Further variations used to investigate extinction and spontaneous recovery of salivation

Question 18

Findings

Answer 18

Neutral stimulus (sound) did not initially create response but unconditioned stimulus (food) caused salivation
Foward pairing = did cause salivation few seconds after (9 secs)
No salivation to backward pairing
Salivation reflex only associated if dog was alert
Extinction of salivation seen and response to conditioned stimulus was recovered

Question 19

Conclusion

Answer 19

Signilisation = link made between unconditioned stimulus and neutral stimulus if occurs before
unconditioned stimulus

Question 20

CA to weakness

Answer 20

Little Albert showed classical conditioning takes place in humans
BUT
humans can consciously try to overcome conditioned reflexes