Classical Conditioning & Pavlov's Research

What are the two types of the ‘Learning Approach’?

1. Behaviourism

2. Social Learning Theory

What is Behaviourism?

An approach in psychology that explains behaviour as learned through interaction with the environment via classical and operant conditioning.

What are the types of Behaviourism?

1. Classical Conditioning (learning by association)

2. Operant Conditioning (learning by consequences)

What are Assumptions of Behaviourism?

The core beliefs that behaviourists agree on about:

• How behaviour is learned

• What psychology should study

• What causes behaviour

The rules behaviourists work by

what are the key assumptions of the behaviourist approach?

• Psychologists should only study behaviour that can be observed and measured (quantifiable) - since thoughts and feelings can’t be seen or measured so they shouldn’t be studied scientifically

• It’s not concerned with investigating mental processes of the mind because these were seen as irrelevant - they’re too vague and difficult to measure

• Behaviourists aim to maintain more control and objectivity in their research and rely on laboratory studies as the best way to achieve this

• Behaviourists believe that behaviour is learned. They describe a baby’s mind as a ‘blank state’ which life writes upon by different experiences (Watson, 1930)

• Research on animal behaviour is directly relevant to humans because ‘humans and animals learn in the same way’ therefore animal research/experiments (e.g. rats, dogs) is valid in psychology

What is an unconditioned stimulus?

A stimulus that naturally and automatically produces a response, with no learning needed.

• i.e. Food (the stimulus) → causes salivation

What is an unconditioned response?

The natural, automatic response to the unconditioned stimulus.

• i.e. Salvation when food is presented

What is an neutral stimulus?

A stimulus that doesn’t initially produce a response.

• i.e. A bell that doesn’t cause salivation at first

What is a conditioned stimulus?

A stimulus that was previously a neutral stimulus that produces a learned response after conditioning.

• i.e. The bell after being paired with food

What is a conditioned response?

A learned response to a conditioned stimulus.

• i.e. salivation to the bell alone

Who discovered classical conditioning?

Pavlov, a psychologist (1897), accidentally discovered the mechanisms of classical conditioning when he was measuring the volume of specific enzymes in dog saliva.

How did Pavlov accidentally discover the mechanisms of classical conditioning?

When he had been working with dogs in his lab, the dogs were attached to an apparatus which held them in place and collected their saliva.

• Pavlov noticed that the dogs began to salivate before they saw or smelt their food, just by hearing the footsteps of the lab assistants approaching - the dogs had learned that these footsteps = food

What was the procedure that Pavlov set up to test his new discovery?

1. Before conditioning = UCS → UCR

- e.g. Food → Dog salivates (when it sees and smells the food)

2. During the process of conditioning = UCS + NS → UCR

- e.g. Food + Bell → Dog salivates (pairing of NS and UCS)

3. After conditioning = CS → CR

- e.g. Bell → Dog salivates (just from the sound of the bell)

The dog continues to salivate to the bell however when Pavlov stopped pairing the bell and the food he found that the CR decreased and gradually disappeared (known as 'extinction').

What are the strengths of Classical Conditioning & Pavlov’s Research?

Highly scientific and controlled

• The use of laboratory experiments, tightly controlled variables and objective measures (e.g. salivation which reduces researcher bias), makes the research reliable and replicable, which supports the behaviourist aim of making psychology scientific

Demonstrates learning through association

• Pavlov clearly showed that learning can occur through association and behaviour can be explained using stimulus-response links, which was hugely important in developing the behaviourist approach

Real-world applications

• Classical conditioning has been applied to phobias (e.g. Little Albert), systematic desensitisation (therapy), advertising and behaviour modification, this gives the theory practical value

What are the weaknesses of Classical Conditioning & Pavlov’s Research?

Uses animals → limited generalisation

• Pavlov studied dogs, humans have higher cognitive processes, meaning findings may not generalise, which reduces validity

Ethical issues are raised

• Dogs were exposed to repeated conditioning, no informed consent (animals cannot consent)

It doesn’t explain all forms of behaviour

• e.g. Fails to explain spontaneous or original behaviour, some behaviour resists conditioning, suggesting theory is incomplete

• Meaning classical conditioning has limited external validity

Behaviourism is highly deterministic (environmental determinism)

• The assumption is that people are controlled by environmental forces and have little autonomy over their destiny

  • This assumption negates the role of free will in behaviour which reduces the usefulness of the approach, seeing people as passive/mechanical

What is extinction in classical conditioning?

It occurs when the conditioned stimulus is repeatedly presented on its own several times without the unconditioned stimulus, resulting in the weakening and eventual disappearance of the condition response.

• Conditioning can be unlearned and become ‘extinct’

• Conditioned stimulus no longer predicts the unconditioned stimulus

What is spontaneous recovery in classical conditioning?

When the individual carries out the conditioned response some time after extinction has occurred.

What is generalisation in classical conditioning?

When slight changes in the conditioned stimulus, such as different pitches of the bell used in Pavlov’s experiment, still produces the same conditioned response.