LEARNING - CLASSICAL CONDITIONING Flashcards
learning
the process of acquiring new behaviors, thoughts, or emotions
unconditioned response
an instinctive response that occurs naturally in reaction to the unconditioned stimulus
eg. dogs salivating when food is given to them
imprinting
any kind of learning occurring at a particular age
eg. a young chick after hatching following their mums every move
Simple kinds of learning
Habituation > a change in behaviour that occurs when we stop responding to a particular stimulus.
Adaption > fitting in with the environment through learning or another process. E.g., the body learning how to sweat to cool down.
Classical conditioning
learning through association
There are 4 steps for classical conditioning.
1) An uncontrollable response that already exists amongst an unconditioned stimulus. E.g., the dog salivating as food is presented is the unconditioned response, the food is the unconditioned stimulus.
2) The unconditioned stimulus (the food) is paired repeatedly with a new stimulus or conditioning stimulus that is unrelated. E.g., ringing a bell is paired when the do is presented with food.
3) Both of the stimulus is repeatedly paired until the new conditioned stimulus creates a desired response. E.g., the dog begins to salivate to the sound of the bell ringing.
4) If the conditioned stimulus is presented without the unconditioned stimulus too frequently then extinction occurs.
Contiguity
is an important concept of classical conditioning. For classical conditioning to be effective the original stimulus and the new stimulus is presented closely together in time. For example, the dog food must be presents straight after the bell rings. This then allows the dog to learn that the two stimulus are associated together, therefore prompting the dog to pair his unconditioned stimulus with the bell ringing rather than just when the dogs food is presented.
