Classical Conditioning

Assumptions of the behaviourist approach

Everyone is born as a “blank slate”. All behaviour is learned from the environment. Directly observable behaviour can be observed and measured. Lab-based, scientific methods is the only way behaviour can be studied

Classical conditioning

Learning through association. Occurs when a neutral stimulus is substituted for an unconditioned stimulus to produce a conditioned response

What are the mechanisms of classical conditioning?

Unconditioned stimulus, unconditioned response, neutral stimulus, conditioned stimulus, conditioned response

Stimulus

An event that causes a response

Conditioned

Learned

Neutral stimulus

A stimulus that doesn’t initially produce a particular response before conditioning

Pavlov (1897)

Found the mechanisms of classical conditioning by accident. Noticed that the dogs began to salivate before the food came, salivated at the footsteps, they understood that food will be coming

Before conditioning

Food (unconditioned stimulus) is given to the dog and the dog salivates (unconditioned response). A bell (neutral stimulus) is rung every time the dog gets food, the dog doesn’t respond

During conditioning

A bell (neutral stimulus) is rung and food (unconditioned stimulus) is given at the same time. The dog salivates (unconditioned response)

After conditioning

The bell (conditioned stimulus) is rung and the dog salivates (conditioned response) from the sound