1. 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
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2. I CAN Describe the key features of Classical Conditioning: UCS UCR CS
Acquisition
Extinction
Spontaneous Recovery
Stimulus Discrimination/Generalization

3. 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
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4. The Essentials of Classical Conditioning
Unconditioned stimulus (UCS)
Unconditioned response (UCR)
Conditioned stimulus (CS)
Conditioned response (CR)
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5. 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)
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6. 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)
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7. 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)
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8. 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)
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9. 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.
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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
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13. 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)
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Watch the video
The Office - Pavlov's dog on You tube
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16. Classical Conditioning in Humans
The smell of perfume..
a certain song…
a specific day of the year…
When it results in intense emotions

17. 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.

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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)
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19. 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
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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)
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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
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22. 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
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23. 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
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24. 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
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25. 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
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26. Experimental Neurosis
Confusing stimuli may cause experimental neurosis
A pattern of erratic behavior when faced with difficult, stressful, or demanding choices
Freakin’ Out
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27. Applications of Classical Conditioning
Classical Conditioning explains many behaviors……such as cravings, aversions, and fears
It is also useful in
eliminating unwanted
behavior
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28. 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.
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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.
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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.
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Little Albert
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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.
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33. 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.
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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
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35. CAN I? Describe the key features of Classical Conditioning: UCS UCR CS
Acquisition
Extinction
Spontaneous Recovery
Stimulus Discrimination/Generalization