Pavlov Classical Conditioning Theory

In psychology “learning” is defined as a relatively permanent change in, or acquisition of, knowledge or behaviour.

The key term here is “relatively” because although we tend to hold onto what we learn, it can be changed a later date.

For example, your friend teaches you how to play tennis, but later you get a qualified instructor who modifies and improves your technique.

What we learn can also be forgotten over time, especially if we do not regularly use the skills or knowledge we have acquired.

For example, you may learn to drive a car but if you don’t drive for several years, you will most likely forget what you had previously learnt and so would need to practice again.

In addition to this, in order for us to learn something we first need to experience it at the level of sensation via our five senses. As without our senses learning would be virtually impossible.

Classical Conditioning

Classical conditioning is a term used to describe learning which has been acquired through experience.

One of the best known examples of classical conditioning can be found with the Russian psychologist Ivan Pavlov and his experiments on dogs.

In these experiments, Pavlov trained his dogs to salivate when they heard a bell ring. In order to do this he first showed them food, the sight of which caused them to salivate.

Later Pavlov would ring a bell every time he would bring the food out, until eventually he could get the dogs to salivate just by ringing the bell and without giving the dogs any food.

In this simple but ingenious experiment, Pavlov showed how a reflex (salivation, a natural bodily response) could become conditioned (modified) to an external stimulus (the bell) thereby creating a conditioned reflex/response.

Components Involved In Classical Conditioning

We can gain a better understanding of classical conditioning by looking at the various components involved in his experiment;

• The unconditioned stimulus.
• The conditioned stimulus.
• The unconditioned reflex.
• The conditioned reflex.

So let’s look at each of these classical conditioning components in more detail now.

Note : In its strictest definition classical conditioning is described as a previously neutral stimulus which causes a reflex (stimulus means something which causes a physical response).

The Unconditioned Stimulus (food)

An unconditioned stimulus is anything which can evoke a response without prior learning or conditioning.

For example, when a dog eats some food it causes his mouth to salivate.

Therefore the food is an unconditioned stimulus, because it causes a reflex response (salivation) automatically and without the dog having to learn how to salivate.

Unconditioned Stimulus - This causes an automatic reflex response.

Conditioned Stimulus (bell)

The conditioned stimulus is created by learning, and therefore does not create a response without prior conditioning.

For example, when Pavlov rang a bell and caused the dogs to salivate, this was a conditioned stimulus because the dogs learnt to associate the bell with food.

If they had not learnt to associate the bell with food, they would not have salivated when the bell was rung.

Conditioned Stimulus - You need to learn first before it creates a response. It is an acquired power to change something.

Unconditioned Reflex (salivation)

An unconditioned reflex is anything that happens automatically without you having to think about it, such as your mouth salivating when you eat.

Unconditioned Reflex – Reflex that happens automatically and you didn’t have to learn how to do it.

Conditioned Reflex (salivation in response to bell)

A conditioned reflex is a reflex which you have learnt to associate with something.

For example, the dogs salivated when Pavlov rang a bell, when previously (without conditioning) the bell would not cause the dogs to salivate.

Conditioned Reflex – A reflex that can be evoked in response to a conditioned stimulus (a previously neutral stimulus)

Important Features Of Classical Conditioning

The word conditioning is used to mean a type of learning that occurs without you having to think about it, almost like an automatic type of learning. Although later on this learning may be reinforced by reflecting upon that experience.

For example, sometimes you will see a dog flinch when you raise your hand. This flinching is a conditioned reflex, and can be seen in dogs that have been mistreated by their owners. The same can be found in women who are beaten by their husbands.

This later example shows that classical conditioning is not solely confined to animals, as it can just as easily occur in humans.

Finally, conditioned reflexes are involuntary, which means they occur automatically and without you having to think about it.

Behavioural Patterns Associated With Classical Conditioning

There are three main behavioural patterns which are associated with classical conditioning:

• Extinction.
• Stimulus generalisation.
• Discrimination.

Extinction

Extinction occurs when the conditioned stimulus is presented a number of times without the unconditioned stimulus.

For example, if we ring a bell and cause a dog to salivate we have a conditioned stimulus.

However if we keep ringing that bell without giving the dog any food (unconditioned stimulus), eventually the dog will disassociate (unlearn) the bell from the food and so will no longer salivate.

Therefore extinction has occurred because the bell no longer has any effect on the dog.

Note : Extinction is different from forgetting, because extinction involves unlearning something.

Extinction & Fear

This process of extinction (desensitisation) is used by psychologists to help people overcome their fears or phobias.

For example, if you have a strong fear of heights, then by constantly exposing yourself to heights you will eventually unlearn your fear.

This can be done through immediate exposure, whereby you go to the top of a very tall building immediately. Or gradual exposure, where you gradually work your way up a tall building floor by floor.

Stimulus Generalisation

Stimulus generalisation occurs when a stimulus which is similar to a conditioned stimulus creates a conditioned reflex.

For example, if we can make a dog salivate by ringing a bell (conditioned stimulus) and we can make a dog salivate by ringing a slightly different sounding bell, then what we have demonstrated is stimulus generalisation.

Discrimination

Continuing from the example above, if we were then to use another bell which produced a different sound but this time the dog did not salivate, then what we have demonstrated is discrimination because the dog no longer associates that sound with food (it has discriminated against it).

So in summary we can say:

Extinction occurs when we unlearn something, or become desensitised to it. The stimulus no longer creates the effect it used to cause.

Stimulus generalisation occurs when something similar to our conditioned stimulus creates the same response (the conditioned reflex).

Discrimination occurs when our new stimulus is too different from our original conditioned stimulus to cause the effect we want (the conditioned reflex).

Summary

• Classical conditioning occurs when a previously neutral stimulus causes a reflex.

• Ivan Pavlov is most famous for his work on dogs and classical conditioning.

• The unconditioned stimulus causes an automatic reflex response without prior learning (e.g. food in mouth causes salivation).

• The conditioned stimulus is created by learning, whereby a stimulus becomes associated with something else (e.g. dog associates bell with food, and ringing bell causes dog to salivate).

• The unconditioned reflex is a reflex that happens automatically (e.g. salivation is an unconditioned reflex, because it happens automatically when you put food in your mouth).

• The conditioned reflex is a learnt response pattern (e.g. dog salivating to sound of bell).

• Conditioning takes place automatically and without you having to think about it, and the conditioned reflexes are involuntary.

• Extinction occurs when you unlearn something, such as unlearning that the bell means food and no longer salivating in response to it.

• Stimulus Generalisation occurs when a new but similar stimulus to your original conditioned stimulus, still results in the conditioned reflex (e.g. similar sounding bell still makes dogs salivate).

• Discrimination occurs when a new stimulus is too dissimilar from your original conditioned stimulus to cause the conditioned reflex (e.g. different sounding bell no longer makes dogs salivate).