Unit 3.7 Classical Conditioning

Behavioral Perspective

A psychological approach that emphasizes the study of observable behaviors and the ways they're learned or conditioned through interaction with the environment. It focuses on how external stimuli influence behavior.

Classical Conditioning

A learning process that occurs through associations between an environmental stimulus and a naturally occurring stimulus. It was famously demonstrated by Ivan Pavlov through his experiments with dogs.

Acquisition

The initial stage of learning when a response is first established and gradually strengthened through repeated pairing of the conditioned stimulus and unconditioned stimulus.

Unconditioned Stimulus

A stimulus that naturally and automatically triggers a response without prior learning.

Unconditioned Response

A natural reaction to an unconditioned stimulus, such as salivating in response to food.

Conditioned Stimulus

A previously neutral stimulus that, after being paired with an unconditioned stimulus, eventually triggers a conditioned response.

Conditioned Response

A learned response to a previously neutral stimulus that has become associated with an unconditioned stimulus.

Extinction

The gradual weakening of a conditioned response when the conditioned stimulus is presented without the unconditioned stimulus, leading to a reduction in the conditioned response over time.

Spontaneous Recovery

The reappearance of a conditioned response after a pause, following extinction.

Stimulus Generalization

The tendency for a conditioned response to be elicited by stimuli that are similar to the original conditioned stimulus.

Stimulus Discrimination

The ability to differentiate between similar stimuli, responding only to the specific stimulus that has been conditioned.

Higher Order Conditioning

A learning process in which a previously conditioned stimulus is paired with a new neutral stimulus to create a new conditioned response.

Classical Conditioning of Emotions

The process by which emotional responses are conditioned through associations with neutral stimuli, leading to emotional reactions to stimuli that were previously neutral.

Classical Conditioning in Therapy

A therapeutic technique using classical conditioning principles to modify emotional responses and behaviors, often applied in treatments such as systematic desensitization.

Taste Aversions

A learned aversion to a particular taste or food that occurs after a negative experience associated with it, often leading to avoidance of that food in the future.

One Trial Conditioning

A learning process where a strong response occurs after only one pairing of a stimulus with an aversive event, often seen in taste aversions.

Biological Preparedness

The concept that certain associations, such as those involving food and illness, are more easily learned by organisms due to evolutionary adaptations.

Habituation

A decrease in response to a stimulus after repeated presentations. It allows organisms to focus on more relevant stimuli in their environment.