Classical Conditioning

behavioral perspective

how we learn from our environment

conditioning

forming associations between two events or responses

stimulus

an event, object, or thing that triggers a specific reaction

neutral stimuli

stimuli that do not prompt any reaction

unconditioned stimulus

a stimulus that naturally triggers a response. no teaching is needed here

unconditioned response

a natual response that happens without learning to a stimulus

conditioned stimulus

when a previously neutral stimulus is paired repeatedly with an unconditioned stimulus, triggering a learned response

conditioned response

a learned response to a conditioned stimulus

acquisition

the process of developing a connection between a neutral stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus

extinction

when the conditioned response gradually diminishes. this is when the conditioned stimulus stops being paired with unconditioned stimulus

spontaneous recovery

the reappearance after a pause of an extinguished conditioned response

stimulus generalization

when an individual responds to a stimulus that is similar to the origional conditioned stimulus

stimulus discrimination

when an individual learns to differentiate between the conditioned stimulus and other similar stimuli

higher order conditioning

aka second-order conditioning. when a neutral stimulus that has become a conditioned stimulus is paired with another unconditioned stimulus

taste aversions

a type of classical conditioning where a person learns to avoid a particular taste, flavor, or food because they associate it with illness

biological preparedness

the survival technique where people and animals naturally form associations between certain stimuli and responses quickly

habituation

when an organism gradually stops responding as strongly to a stimulus that is repeated over time