Ivan Pavlov- theorist

who was Ivan Pavlov

Russian psychologist who developed classical conditioning, showing how behaviour can be learned through association

what is classical conditioning

learning that happens when a neutral stimulus becomes associated with a natural response

what was Pavlov’s experiment

studied dogs and showed they could learn to associate a sound with food, causing them to salivate.

what is an unconditioned stimulus (UCS)

a stimulus that naturally causes a response without learning

e.g. food causing salivation

what is an unconditioned response (UCR)

a natural, automatic reaction to the unconditioned stimulus

e.g. salivating when food is presented.

what is a conditioned stimulus (CS)

a previously natural stimulus that, after learning, causes a response

e.g. a bell after being paired with food

what is a conditioned response (CR)

a learned response to the conditioned stimulus

e.g. salivating when hearing the bell

how does Pavlov’s theory link to childcare

children may associate certain environments, sounds or routines with feelings or behaviours.

e.g. a bell being associated with tidy up time

one strength of Pavlov’s theory?

helps practitioners understand how routine and consistency influences children’s behaviours

one limitation of Pavlov’s theory

only explains simple behaviours and does not consider thoughts or emotions.