classical conditioning

• classical conditioning (learning by association)

  a Neutral stimulus produced no response. A neutral stimulus is paired with an unconditioned stimulus, producing an unconditioned response.

  over repeated pairings, the neutral stimulus becomes the conditioned stimulus producing a conditioned response.
• Pavlov's dog research in psychology is best known for discovering classical conditioning, a behavioural procedure that repeatedly pairs a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus to create an conditioned response: Pavlov's experiments involved ringing a bell whenever he fed his dogs, and over time the dogs learned to associate the bell with food. The dogs would begin to salivate when they heard bell.
• timing of pavlov's research

  the NS and UCS need to be paired at a similar time. if the gap between the pairing is too large conditioning will not occur.
• extinction

  the CR is not permanent. in Pavlov's experiment, if the bell (CS) is repeatedly presented with food (UCS) the dog loses that association and will no longer salivate to the bell
• spontaneous recovery

  following extinction, if the CS and UCS are paired together the association is made again quickly.
• stimulus generalisation

  pavlov found that once conditioned, similar stimuli can also cause the CR e.g. a buzzer.