1. Classical Conditioning
Unit 7: Learning
Module 21:
Classical Conditioning
AP Psychology
Mr. Ng

2. Learning
Learning: a relatively permanent change in behavior as a result of experience.
Conditioning: the process of learning associations.
Two types of conditioning:
Classical Conditioning (Ivan Pavlov)
Operant Conditioning (B.F. Skinner)

3. Classical Conditioning
Associative Learning: learning that certain events occur together.
Ex. Lightning & Thunder
Behaviorism: science based on observable behavior. (John Watson)

4. Classical Conditioning
Ivan Pavlov
(1849 – 1936)
John B. Watson
(1878 – 1958)
Studied Pavlov’s work.

5. Classical Conditioning
Classical Conditioning: Learning which takes place when two or more stimuli are presented together.
Can be used to overcome fears, increasing or decreasing immune functioning, and increasing or decreasing attraction of people or products.

6. Classical Conditioning
Stimulus: a change in the environment that elicits (brings about) a response.
Ex. Doorbell, bright light…
Neutral stimulus (NS): a stimulus that initially does not elicit a response.
At first, subject does not react to neutral stimulus.

7. Classical Conditioning
Unconditioned stimulus (US): stimulus that unconditionally, automatically triggers a response.
Unconditioned response (UR): an automatic, involuntary reaction to an unconditioned stimulus.
Conditioned stimulus (CS): a neutral stimulus (NS) at first, but when paired with the US, it elicits the conditioned response (CR).

8. Classical Conditioning
Conditioned response (CR): the learned response to a previously neutral, but now conditioned stimulus.
Acquisition: learning to give a known response to a new stimulus, the neutral stimulus.
Ex. Makaveli/Nadia acquired a response to a new stimulus (light).

9. Classical Conditioning
Extinction: The diminishing response that occurs when the CS no longer signals an impending US.
Ex. Turning on light without hitting Mak/Nadia with a paper ball several times.
Spontaneous recovery: after extinction, and without training, the previous CS suddenly elicits the CR again temporarily.

10. Classical Conditioning
Pavlov’s Classic Experiment

11. Classical Conditioning
Associating onion breath to sexual arousal!

12. Classical Conditioning
Generalization: The tendency to respond to stimuli similar to the conditioned stimulus.
Ex. Pavlov’s dog would salivate when a different tone was played or if Mak/Nadia flinched when a different light was flashed.

13. Classical Conditioning
Discrimination: the learned ability to distinguish between a conditioned stimulus and other irrelevant stimuli.
Ex. Different anxiety over math test versus ACT.

14. Classical Conditioning
Cancer patients after chemotherapy.

15. Classical Conditioning
What did Pavlov teach us?
All organisms can learn to adapt to their environment.
Learning is a process that is observable.
Pavlov’s work paved the way for Watson’s “Little Albert” experiments.