classical conditioning

Classical Conditioning

Learning to respond to a new stimulus that has been associated with another stimulus that normally produces the response.

Pavlov's Study of Classical Conditioning

Pavlov studied classical conditioning by pairing a neutral stimulus (bell) with an unconditioned stimulus (food) to elicit a conditioned response (salivation) in dogs.

Unconditioned Response (Pavlov's Example)

Salivation in response to food.

Unconditioned Stimulus (Pavlov's Example)

The food.

Conditioned Response (Pavlov's Example)

Salivation in response to the bell.

Conditioned Stimulus (Pavlov's Example)

The bell.

Acquisition

Stage of conditioning in which the association between the two stimuli (US and CS) is being learned.

Generalization

Conditioned response to stimuli that are not the conditioned stimulus but are similar to the CS.

Discrimination

Conditioned response occurs only to a specific stimulus.

Extinction

Failure to exhibit the conditioned response to the conditioned stimulus because the CS no longer predicts the US.

Spontaneous Recovery

Reappearance of the conditioned response to the original conditioned stimulus after extinction.

Second Order Conditioning

New neutral stimulus becomes associated with previously conditioned stimulus, becoming a new CS; tends to be weaker than first-order conditioning.

Conditioned Aversion

Classically conditioned association between a CS and a US that causes an unpleasant response.

Example of Conditioned Aversion with Wolves and Coyotes

A wolf or coyote might develop a conditioned aversion to a particular food after eating it and becoming sick.

Watson and Raynor's Study with Little Albert

A study that demonstrated that fear could be conditioned in humans.

Counterconditioning

Replacing unwanted conditioned response with a wanted response.