Classical conditioning is a type of learning in which an organism learns to associate a previously neutral stimulus with a stimulus that naturally produces a response. This form of learning was first described by Ivan Pavlov, a Russian physiologist, in the early 20th century.
Here’s an explanation using Pavlov’s famous experiment:
Pavlov’s Experiment:
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Natural Reflex: Pavlov studied dogs and observed that they naturally salivate when food is presented. Here:
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Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS): Food
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Unconditioned Response (UCR): Salivation (automatic response to food)
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Neutral Stimulus (NS): Pavlov then introduced a neutral stimulus, such as the sound of a bell, which initially had no effect on salivation.
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Association Phase: Pavlov repeatedly rang the bell just before giving the food to the dogs. Over time, the dogs began to associate the bell with the upcoming food.
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Conditioned Response: Eventually, the dogs started salivating just to the sound of the bell, even when no food was presented. Here:
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Conditioned Stimulus (CS): Bell
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Conditioned Response (CR): Salivation (learned response to the bell)
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Key Concepts:
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Acquisition: The process of learning the association between the NS and UCS.
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Extinction: If the bell is repeatedly rung without food, the salivation response gradually disappears.
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Spontaneous Recovery: After a rest period, the conditioned response may reappear when the bell is rung.
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Generalization: The dog may also respond to sounds similar to the bell.
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Discrimination: The dog can learn to distinguish between the bell and other sounds, responding only to the bell.
Related Concept: Operant Conditioning
In simple terms, classical conditioning demonstrates how a neutral stimulus can elicit a response after being repeatedly paired with a naturally significant stimulus. Pavlov’s work laid the foundation for behaviourism and the study of learning in psychology.
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