behaviourism-classical conditioning

• assumptions of the behaviourist approach:

  • behaviour should be studied in an objective way to make psychology a science
  • We should only study things we can see(behaviours) - the mind is the "black box".
  • All behaviour is the result of learning- we are born a "Tabula Rasa"- blank slate.
• An unconditioned stimulus(UCS)= 


  A thing that naturally causes the UCR
• Unconditioned Response (UCR)= 


  A natural response to the UCS
• Neutral stimulus (NS)= 


  A thing that doesn't naturally produce the UCR.
• Conditioned Stimulus (CS)= 


  Once the UCS and NS have been paired several times, the NS becomes the CS.
• Conditioned response (CR)=


  The learnt response the the CS.
• What is behaviourism?


  A psychological approach that focuses on observable behaviours rather than internal mental states. It emphasizes the role of environmental stimuli in shaping behaviour through learning and reinforcement.
• What is classical conditioning? 


  A learning process where a neutral stimulus becomes associated with a naturally occurring stimulus to evoke a similar response. It was first described by Ivan Pavlov in his experiments with dogs.
• Pavlov's research....


  He was investigating the salivary reflex in dogs when he noticed that the animals not only salivated when food was placed in their mouths, but also reacted to stimuli that coincided with the presentation of food, such as the presence of a food bowl or the person who fed them.
• Generalisation-


  The tendency for a conditioned response to occur in response to stimuli similar to, but not identical to, the original conditioned stimulus.
• discrimination-


  The ability to distinguish between similar stimuli and respond only to the specific conditioned stimulus.
• Extinction-


  The gradual weakening and eventual disappearance of a conditioned response when the conditioned stimulus is repeatedly presented without the unconditioned stimulus.
• Spontaneous recovery- 


  The reappearance of a previously extinguished conditioned response after a period of time without exposure to the conditioned stimulus.
• classical conditioning


  Learning through association