L2 - Behaviourist Approach: Classical Conditioning

Question 1

What are the key assumptions of classical conditioning?

Answer 1

• Concerned with observable behaviour that can be objectively/scientifically measured
• All behaviour is learned from env and can be reduced to a stimulus-response association
• Little difference between learning in humans and non-humans, so research can be carried out on animals

Question 2

What is classical conditioning?

Answer 2

• All behaviour is learnt rather than innate or inherited.
• Behaviour can be learnt through classical conditioning by association.
• A stimulus produces the same response as another stimulus because they have been consistently presented at the same time.

Question 3

Describe Pavlov

Answer 3

• Russian Physiologist and discovery of classical conditioning
• Investigated salivating reflex in dogs and noticed that dogs would not only salivate when food was placed in the mouths but when other stimuli appeared.
• Pavlov explored how the dogs had learnt that these stimuli meant food was coming and wanted to see if he could teach the dogs to salivate when he rang a bell

Question 4

Describe the conditioning process

Answer 4

1: BEFORE conditioning
- Food is unconditioned stimulus producing salivating reflex which is the unconditioned response.
- Bell is neutral stimulus producing no conditioned response

2: DURING conditioning
- Unconditioned stimulus (food) was repeatedly paired with neutral stimulus (bell) to build an association.

3: AFTER conditioning
- Bell is a conditioned stimulus producing salivating as a conditioned response