classical conditioning: associative learning

• what is classical conditioning

  classical conditioning is a form of associative learning where 2 things are linked together
• unconditioned stimulus (UCS)

  naturally triggers an unconditioned response or reflex - don't need to learn to respond as it occurs automatically
• unconditioned response (UCR)

  a reflex or a natural response to an unconditional stimulus
• neutral stimulus(NS)

  doesn't trigger any response but when used with an UCS it stimulates learning
• conditioned stimulus (CS)

  when NS is repeatedly paired with an UCS, it becomes a conditioned stimulus triggering a conditioned response
• conditioned response (CR)

  response is elicited by the CS and a new association has been learned - the UCR is now the CR
• what is pairing

  during the conditioning stage, the neutral stimulus and the unconditional stimulus are experienced together - known as pairing
• extinction

  when CS and UCS have not been paired for a while, the CS no longer triggers the CR as strongly e.g: if the metronome in pavlov has been sounded too many times, dog may not respond to it anymore
• spontaneous recovery

  extinct responses can form without new pairings with UCS
• stimulus generalisation

  CR to one object is exhibited on the presence of a similar stimuli
• strength of classical conditioning as an explanation for behaviour/learning

  • research evidence by pavlov that explains CC as an explanation for behaviour
  • pavlov (1927) conducted research on animals by having a dog associate a metronome to food
  • overall it is a good controlled study demonstrating CC in animals
• weakness of classical conditioning

  • CC can only explain a small range of behaviours that can be acquired
  • for example, it can explain why someone learns to fear a dog but does not explain how someone learns and maintains behaviours that they used to avoid dogs such as: avoiding dog parks, running away from them
  • CC can only be a partial explanation of learning behaviours