What Sort of Learning Does Classical Conditioning Explain? Classical conditioning is a basic form of learning in which a stimulus that produces an innate reflex becomes associated with a previously neutral stimulus, which then acquires the power to elicit essentially the same response Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007

I CAN Describe the key features of Classical Conditioning: UCS UCR CS Acquisition Extinction Spontaneous Recovery Stimulus Discrimination/Generalization

The Essentials of Classical Conditioning Neutral stimulus Any stimulus that produces no conditioned response prior to learning Examples; A bell sound is neutral… It does nothing until paired with a natural producing stimulus, such as food Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007

The Essentials of Classical Conditioning Unconditioned stimulus (UCS) Unconditioned response (UCR) Conditioned stimulus (CS) Conditioned response (CR) Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007

The Essentials of Classical Conditioning Unconditioned stimulus (UCS) A stimulus that automatically (without conditioning) produces a reflexive behavior In Pavlov’s experiment, food was the UCS because it produced a salivation reflex, or UCR Unconditioned response (UCR) Conditioned stimulus (CS) Conditioned response (CR) Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007

The Essentials of Classical Conditioning Unconditioned stimulus (UCS) The response elicited by an unconditioned stimulus without prior learning It’s reflective and involved NO LEARNING Unconditioned response (UCR) Conditioned stimulus (CS) Conditioned response (CR) Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007

The Essentials of Classical Conditioning Unconditioned stimulus (UCS) Unconditioned response (UCR) A previously neutral stimulus (a bell/tone) elicits a conditioned response (dog salivating) Conditioned stimulus (CS) Conditioned response (CR) Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007

The Essentials of Classical Conditioning Unconditioned stimulus (UCS) Unconditioned response (UCR) A response to a previously neutral stimulus that has become associated with the unconditioned stimulus The dog salivates at the sound of the bell Conditioned stimulus (CS) Conditioned response (CR) Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 Ivan Pavlov Russian physiologist, psychologist, and physician. Awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1904 for research pertaining to the digestive system. Pavlov is widely known for first describing the phenomenon of classical conditioning. Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 Pavlov’s Dog While doing experiments on salivation, he noticed dogs salivated before the food was in their mouths He eventually came up with an objective model of learning…. classical conditioning Ivan Pavlov Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007

Classical Conditioning Prior to conditioning Neutral stimulus (tone) (Orientation to sound but no response) Unconditioned stimulus (food in mouth) Unconditioned response (salivation) Conditioning Neutral stimulus CS (tone) Conditioned response (salivation) + Unconditioned stimulus (food) After conditioning Conditioned stimulus (tone) Conditioned response (salivation) Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 Watch the video The Office - Pavlov's dog on You tube Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007

Classical Conditioning in Humans The smell of perfume.. a certain song… a specific day of the year… When it results in intense emotions

It's not that the smell or the song are the cause of the emotion, but rather what that smell or song has been paired with... …perhaps an ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend, the death of a loved one, or maybe the day you met your current husband or wife.

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 Acquisition The initial learning stage of classical conditioning Refers to the period of time when the stimulus (bell) comes to evoke the conditioned response. (salivation) Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007

Classical Conditioning Extinction and Spontaneous Recovery A Conditioned Response (CR ) is not permanent… it can be reversed, or made extinct BUT….it may return spontaneously Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 Extinction Weakening of a conditioned response in the absence of an unconditioned stimulus The dog salivating (CR) is eliminated by repeated presentations of the bell (CS ) without the food (US) Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 Spontaneous Recovery The reappearance of an extinguished, conditioned response after a time delay, usually at a lower intensity For example, cocaine addicts who are thought to be "cured" can experience an irresistible impulse to use the drug again if they encounter a stimulus with strong connections to the drug, such as a white powder Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007

Acquisition, Extinction, and Spontaneous Recovery Strength of the CR (Weak) (Strong) (Time) Trials (1) Acquisition (CS + UCS) (2) Extinction (CS alone) (3) Spontaneous Recovery (CS alone) Rest period Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007

Classical Conditioning Generalization and Discrimination Stimulus Generalization Giving a conditioned response (panic) to stimuli that are similar to the CS (spiders) Stimulus Discrimination Involves responding to one stimulus but not to stimuli that are similar Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007

Stimulus Generalization Giving a conditioned response (panic) to stimuli that are similar to the CS (dogs) Being bitten by a large dog results in fear of all dogs Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007

Stimulus Discrimination Responding to one stimulus but not to stimuli that are similar Being bitten by a large dog results in fear of only large dogs, but not all dogs Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007

Experimental Neurosis Confusing stimuli may cause experimental neurosis A pattern of erratic behavior when faced with difficult, stressful, or demanding choices Freakin’ Out Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007

Applications of Classical Conditioning Classical Conditioning explains many behaviors……such as cravings, aversions, and fears It is also useful in eliminating unwanted behavior Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007

Systematic Desensitization A behavior therapy used to treat phobias Example: Fear of snakes The patient is first taught a muscle relaxation technique. Then he or she is told , over a period of days, to imagine the fear-producing situation while trying to restrain the anxiety by relaxation At the end of the series, the strongest anxiety-provoking situation may be brought to mind without anxiety. Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 They would then present increasingly unpleasant situations: a poster of a snake a small snake in a box in the other room a snake in a clear box in view touching the snake At each step in the progression, the patient is desensitized to the phobia using coping techniques As they realize that nothing bad happened to them, the fear is gradually extinguished. A Fear of Snakes? Once the patient had practiced their relaxation technique, the therapist would then present them with the photograph, and help them calm down. Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 Little Albert Albert was taught to fear a white rat when it was paired with a loud noise that scared the child. This fear was later generalized to other white , furry objects By present-day standards, Watson's experiment was unethical for several reasons. Albert's mother was not informed of the experiment. It was performed without her consent. Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 Little Albert Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 Little Albert Albert's fear was not extinguished because he moved away before systematic desensitization could be administered. It is presumed that, although he still must have had fear conditioned to many various stimuli after moving, he would likely have been desensitized by his natural environments later in life. Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007

Taste-aversion Learning A biological tendency in which an organism learns to avoid food with a certain taste after a single experience, if eating it is followed by illness Learned taste aversion may be nature's way of keeping us away from deadly foods. Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 Taste-aversion This poses a problem for ‘Classical’ conditioning because it is not entirely learned. It appears to be part of our biological nature This leads some to question some parts of Pavlov’s theory Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007

CAN I? Describe the key features of Classical Conditioning: UCS UCR CS Acquisition Extinction Spontaneous Recovery Stimulus Discrimination/Generalization