classical conditioning

• Classical conditioning

  1. Learning through association

  2. Linking two stimuli to produce a new learned response
• Unconditioned stimulus

  A stimulus that produces a natural, unlearnt response e.g., reflex behaviours
• Unconditioned response

  A response that occurs naturally without being learned e.g., reflex
• Neutral stimulus


  An environmental stimulus that does not itself produce any response without association
• Classical conditioning process

  1. Presenting unconditioned and neutral stimuli together many times

  2. Person learns to associate the unconditioned and neutral stimuli
• Conditioned stimulus

  A stimulus that has been associated with an unconditioned stimulus so that now it produces the same response. The neutral stimulus is now the conditioned stimulus.
• Conditioned response


  A behaviour that has been learnt through association as a response to a learned stimulus
• Stimulus generalisation


  A conditioned response is presented in response to the conditioned stimulus but also other similar stimuli
• Discrimination


  Over a period of time, learning only occurs in response to a specific stimulus
• Extinction


  When a conditioned stimulus is experienced without the unconditioned stimulus, over time the conditioned response is extinguished
• Extinction


  • It has a survival value because it means that our learning is flexible – we can for example learn to stop fearing something that is no longer dangerous
• Spontaneous recovery


  When an extinct response activates again so the conditioned stimulus once again brings out the conditioned response, generally such responses are a lot weaker
• One strength is there is supporting evidence to show that we do in fact learn through association. In Watson and Rayners study, Albert was conditioned to fear the white rat through associating the unconditioned stimulus which was the iron bar with the neutral stimulus being the rat. This caused a conditioned response of albert crying. This is a strength as we know how phobias come about so we can use the same process to unlearn it too by pairing the phobia with something pleasant so that it can be extinct.
• One weakness is that theory doesn’t account for people who have phobias of things they’ve never experienced or been in direct contact with. This theory suggests that the person needs to experience the pairing and association of the stimulus to shape their behaviour. This is a weakness as it doesn’t explain why some people may be afraid of predators when they have never experienced it. This could be because some fears have been engraved into our survival instinct.