Classical Conditioning (Main features)

Question 1

Define classical conditioning

Answer 1

learning by association, continued pairing of nuetral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus. The neutral stimulus then becomes a conditioned stimulus and produces a conditioned response

Question 2

What are the 3 stages of classical conditioning

Answer 2

Before conditioning
During conditioning
After conditioning

Question 3

What happens before conditioning

Answer 3

An UCS (like food) creates a reflex action like salivation. This action is called an unconditioned response

Question 4

What happens during conditioning

Answer 4

UCS and NS are experienced close in time, this is called pairing. This effect is greatest when NS occurs just before UCS

Question 5

What happens after conditioning if successful

Answer 5

NS produces same response as UCS.

NS is now called Conditioned stimulus and the response called Conditioned response.

Question 6

Define extinction

Answer 6

When the CS isn’t paired with the UCS for a while so the CS no longer produces the CR

Question 7

How can ‘extinction’ be a benefit

Answer 7

has survival value as ‘extinction’ may happen to make us forget a certain fear we have

Question 8

Define spontaneous recovery

Answer 8

An extinct response that appears randomly without an explanation causing the CS to create a CR

Question 9

Define stimulus generalisation

Answer 9

When a conditioned response has been acquired by 1 stimuli, it begins to give the same response to other stimuli

Question 10

Define Unconditioned stimulus (UCS)

Answer 10

A stimulus that produces a response without any learning taking place

Question 11

Define Unconditioned Response (UCR)

Answer 11

An unlearned response to an unconditioned stimulus

Question 12

Define Neutral stimulus (NS)

Answer 12

Does not produce target repsonse. It becomes conditioned stimulus after being paired with unconditioned stimulus.

Question 13

Define Conditioned Stimulus (CS)

Answer 13

Stimulus that produces target reponse after being paired with UCS

Question 14

Define COnditioned Response (CR)

Answer 14

Response elicited by CS, i.e a new association has been learned so that the NS produces a CR

Question 15

Strength of classical conditioning

Answer 15

It is supported by research evidence on both humans and animals.

Question 16

Strength: what research supports classical conditioning

Answer 16

Ivan Pavlovs study on conditioning salivation on dogs and Watson and Rayners study on illiciting fear onto a human baby.

Question 17

Strength: what does this research evidence suggest

Answer 17

Evidence supports the idea of classical conditioning in human and animal learning

Question 18

Weakness of classical conditioning

Answer 18

Can only explain how a limited range of behaviours, like salivation, anxiety and sexual arousal, can be acquired

Question 19

Weakness: evidence of this point

Answer 19

classical conditioning can explain why we have a fear of dogs, however it cannot explain how this fear is maintained.

Question 20

Weakness: what does this evidence suggest

Answer 20

Classical conditioning is only a partial explanation of learning behaviours

Question 21

Strength of application

Answer 21

Classical conditioning has theraputic applications such as aversion therapy.

Question 22

Strength of application: example of how classical conditioning be used in aversion therapty

Answer 22

Someone who has an unwanted behaviour, like sexual arousal to child photos, painful electric shock (UCS) paired with child’s photo (NS).NS will become source of discomfort.

Question 23

Strength of application: what does this evidence suggests about the use of classical conditioning

Answer 23

shows classical conditioning is useful to psychologists as being a source of therapy.