Classical conditioning

• State the 3 assumptions of the behaviourist approach

  What is classical conditioning?

  1. Only observable and measurable behaviour should be studied
  2. We are born as blank slates ('Tabula Rasa'- no genetic influence on behaviour
  3. The basic processes that govern learning are the same in all species- animals could replace humans as experimental subjects
• What is classical conditioning?

  Learning through association to create a conditioned response
• How do you create a conditioned response?

  By repeatedly pairing a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus
• Identify the unconditioned stimulus, the unconditioned response and the neutral stimulus in Pavlov's dogs.


  UCS= food, UCR= salivating, NS= bell
• Outline the stages of Pavlov's dogs

  Stage 1: food (UCS) Salivating (UCR)

  Stage 2: Bell (NS)| no conditioned response

  Stage 3: Food (UCS) + bell (NS) Salivating (UCR)

  Stage 4: Bell (CS) Salivating (CR)
• AO1

  The behaviourist approach assumes behaviour is learned through experience and outcomes in our environment. Pavlov introduced classical conditioning by training dogs to salivate to the sound of a bell. The dogs learned to associate the sound of the bell (neutral stimulus) with food (unconditioned stimulus). This resulted in the sound of the bell becoming a (conditioned stimulus) that elicits a (conditioned response) of salivation.