Classical Conditioning

RG 6a

Modified PowerPoint from: Aneeq Ahmad -- Henderson State University. Worth Publishers © 2007

Today’s Goals

●From College Board…oDescribe basic classical conditioning phenomena,

such as acquisition, extinction, spontaneous

recovery, generalization, discrimination, and higher-

order learning.

●Other GoalsoIdentify each unit of classical conditioning

(UCS, CS, NS, UCR, CR, etc.)

oIdentify Pavlov and describe his significance

to the field of psychology.

Definition of Learning

Learning is a relatively permanent change

in an organism’s behavior due to

experience.

How Do We Learn?We learn by association. Our minds

naturally connect events that occur in

sequence.

Aristotle, 2000 years ago, suggested this

law of association. Then 200 years ago

Locke and Hume reiterated this law.

Stimulus-Stimulus LearningLearning to associate one stimulus

with another.

Ideas a of classical

conditioning originate from

old philosophical theories,

however it was a Russian

physiologist Ivan Pavlov who

exposed classical

conditioning to the world.

Classical Conditioning

Ivan Pavlov (1849-

1936)

In CC – learning occurs when a neutral stimulus

comes to bring about a response after it is paired

with a stimulus that naturally brings about a

response.

Things to remember…

An unconditioned stimulus leads to an unconditioned

response.

Unconditioned = unlearned and untrained

Conditioned = learned and trained

During conditioning, a previously neutral stimulus is

transformed into the conditioned stimulus.

Unconditioned response and conditioned response

are similar

Stimulus = “thing”

Response = “reaction”

Pavlov’s Experiment

Pavlov was NOT a

psychologist…but instead a

physiologist, trying to understand

the digestive process (he

eventually won a Nobel Prize for

this research).

When he stumbled upon classical

conditioning, his actual research

was going awry because the

dogs were salivating BEFORE

the food was put into their

mouths.

Pavlov’s Experiment

Before conditioning –

food (Unconditioned Stimulus, UCS) produces

salivation (Unconditioned Response, UCR).

The tone (neutral stimulus, NS) does not produce a

response.

Pavlov’s Experiment

During conditioning, neutral stimulus (tone) and

UCS (food) are paired resulting in salivation

(UCR).

Paired the NS with UCS numerous times to “condition” the dog

Pavlov's Example of CC

Use Pavlov's dog research to fill in the lines below.

________________________ -> _______________

UCS                                                          UCR

________________________ -> no response

NS

___________ + __________ ->  ______________

NS                              UCS                      UCR

________________________ ->  ______________

CS                                                             CR

Current Example of CC

Every time someone flushes a toilet in your house, the

shower becomes very hot and causes the person in the

shower to jump back.

________________________ -> _______________

UCS                                                          UCR

________________________ -> no response

NS

___________ + __________ ->  ______________

NS                              UCS                      UCR

________________________ ->  ______________

CS                                                             CR

Balloon Experiment

Let’s see how you respond to classical conditioning…

Balloon Experiment

What was the UCS?

What was the UCR?

What was the CR?

What was the CS?

Balloon pop

Flinching

Counting (+ hand motion)

Muscles Tightening

Other examples of CC?

●Bell ringing to end class

●Advertisements using attractive people to sell

products

●Anxiety when hear sound of dentist’s drill

●…

Examples?

Did anyone find an example of classical conditioning over the weekend?  

Did anyone classically condition someone else?

Acquisition

The initial stage in classical conditioning. during which association between a

neutral stimulus and a UCS takes place.

1.Neutral stimulus needs to come before the

UCS for conditioning to occur (most cases).

2.The time between the two stimuli should be

about half a second.

Extinction

When a UCS (food) does not follow a CS

(tone) CR (salivation) starts to decrease and at

some point goes extinct.

Spontaneous Recovery

After a rest period an extinguished CR

(salivation) spontaneously recovers and if CS

(tone) persists alone becomes extinct again.

Stimulus Generalization

Tendency to respond to

stimuli similar to CS is called

generalization. Pavlov

conditioned the dog’s

salivation (CR) by using

miniature vibrators (CS) to

the thigh. When he

subsequently stimulated

other parts of the dog’s

body, salivation dropped.

Stimulus Discrimination

Discrimination is the learned ability to

distinguish between a CS and other stimuli

that do not signal a US.

Current Example of CC

Nerf gun/quack boy video

________________________ -> _______________

UCS                                                          UCR

________________________ -> no response

NS

___________ + __________ ->  ______________

NS                              UCS                      UCR

________________________ ->  ______________

CS                                                             CR

Welcome!

1. The Neutral Stimulus becomes the _________________.

2. Another word for learning or training is_______________.

3.  Pavlov’s dogs naturally responded to the food; food is the

_______________.

4.  When Pavlov’s dogs salivate to the food, salivation is the

________, when they salivate to the bell, salivation is the

_________________.

5.  Pavlov used a ________________ in conditioning the dogs.

The Office

●Example of Classical Conditioning…oThe Office Altoid Episode