Classical conditioning

• Basic assumptions

  • Animals share same principles of learning

  • Mind is born as blank state and everything is learned through environment

  • Behaviour is learned
• Pavlov


  • Believed behaviour is shaped through association of events with one another

  • Found that dogs automatically learned to salivate to new stimulus if it was repeatedly paired with food
• Responses and Stimuli

  • UCS - triggers an automatic response without any prior learning

  • UCR - unlearned response that occurs naturally in reaction to UCS

  • NS - initially produces no specific response other than focusing attention

  • CS - when a neutral object, action or person is connected to a specific response overtime

  • CR - a learned response to a previously neutral stimulus

  NS always become CS

  UCS - UCR

  UCS and NS - UCR

  CS - CR
• Little Albert


  • Conditioned to be afraid of familiar objects by generalising his phobia
  • Dog, monkey, rabbit, fire and white rat showed to him
  • White rat showed again but Watson would bang metal pipes together
  • Albert would cry when introduced to these objects again

  UCS - loud noise

  UCR - fear

  CS and NS - fluffy animals

  CR - fear