Classical Conditioning - Tricky Topics Video Series

Overview

• Classical Conditioning: Also known as Pavlovian conditioning, named after Ivan Pavlov.
• Type of associative learning: Connection between two stimuli or events.
• Involves involuntary responses (reflexive behaviors).

Reflexive Behaviors

• Examples:
  • Pain withdrawal (e.g., touching a hot iron).
  • Emotional responses (e.g., startle response to loud noise).

Ivan Pavlov's Contribution

• Russian physiologist, Nobel Prize winner in 1904 for research on saliva and digestion.
• Discovered classical conditioning while studying salivation in dogs.
• Key Experiment:
  • Dogs began salivating at the sound of equipment associated with feeding.
  • Unconditioned Stimulus (US): Meat powder.
  • Unconditioned Response (UR): Salivation.
  • Neutral Stimulus: Bell, initially no salivation.
  • After conditioning, bell (now Conditioned Stimulus, CS) triggered salivation (now Conditioned Response, CR).

Fundamental Rules of Classical Conditioning

1. Multiple Pairings: Necessary for CS to gain meaning.
2. Temporal Contiguity: CS and US must be presented close together in time; CS should precede US.

Variations and Effects

• Stimulus Generalization: Similar stimuli to CS can trigger CR.
  • Useful in studying sensory abilities in non-verbal individuals (e.g., animals, babies).
• Stimulus Discrimination: Identifies differences between stimuli, used in animal training.
• Extinction: CR disappears when CS is presented without US repeatedly.
  • Learning is suppressed, not erased; possible spontaneous recovery of CR.

Applications and Implications

• John Watson's Experiment: Little Albert study (1920) showed fear can be conditioned.
  • Controversial due to ethical concerns.
• Impact: Understanding of classical conditioning aids in treatment of anxiety and phobias.
  • Knowledge shows how minds link events as predictors.