Classical conditioning is learning by association, where an organism learns that one stimulus predicts another. It matters because it helps explain many automatic reactions, such as fear, excitement, cravings, and emotional responses. Ivan Pavlov discovered the basic pattern while studying dogs, food, and salivation.
His work became a foundation for behaviorism and the scientific study of learning.
Key Facts
- Classical conditioning is learning by association between two stimuli.
- Before conditioning: US leads to UR, such as food leads to salivation.
- During conditioning: NS plus US leads to UR, such as bell plus food leads to salivation.
- After conditioning: CS leads to CR, such as bell leads to salivation.
- Acquisition is the phase when the conditioned stimulus and unconditioned stimulus are repeatedly paired.
- Extinction occurs when the CS is presented many times without the US, so the CR weakens.
Vocabulary
- Unconditioned stimulus
- A stimulus that naturally and automatically triggers a response without prior learning.
- Unconditioned response
- A natural automatic response to an unconditioned stimulus.
- Neutral stimulus
- A stimulus that does not produce the target response before conditioning.
- Conditioned stimulus
- A formerly neutral stimulus that triggers a learned response after being paired with an unconditioned stimulus.
- Conditioned response
- A learned response to a conditioned stimulus.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Calling the food the conditioned stimulus is wrong because food naturally causes salivation before learning; it is the unconditioned stimulus.
- Confusing the unconditioned response with the conditioned response is wrong because the UR happens naturally, while the CR is learned after association.
- Assuming conditioning works after only one pairing in every case is wrong because most conditioned responses require repeated pairings, although strong one-trial learning can happen in special cases.
- Thinking extinction erases the learning completely is wrong because the conditioned response can return later through spontaneous recovery.
Practice Questions
- 1 In Pavlov's experiment, a bell is paired with food 12 times. Afterward, the dog salivates when the bell rings alone. Identify the US, UR, CS, and CR.
- 2 A student hears a phone chime 20 times right before receiving exciting messages. Later, the chime alone makes the student feel excited. If the chime then rings 15 times with no message and excitement decreases, what learning process is occurring?
- 3 A child becomes afraid of a dentist's drill sound after a painful dental visit. Explain which stimulus was originally neutral, which stimulus was unconditioned, and how the learned fear developed.