Learning was through association of a neutral stimuli with a new learned response
How did he prove this?
Demonstrated that dogs could be conditioned to salivate at the sound of a bell if it was continuously presented at the same time as food
Diagram
UCS → UCR
NS→ NR
UCS + NS→UCR
CS→CR
Dog Diagram
Before- UCS (food)→ UCR (Salivation)
Before- NS (whistle)→NR
During- UCS +NS→UCR
After- CS (whistle)→CR (Salivation)
Evaluation - Useful application
Development of treatments to reduce phobias such as systematic desensitisation. This aims at counter conditioning and reassociating the feared stimuli with a more positive response.
Evaluation - Deterministic
People have no control over the reactions they have learned from classical conditioning, such as a phobia being learnt due to a learnt association. Therefore behaviours can be 'shaped', that is if they can taught to unlearn it.
