classical conditioning

Psychology

(noun)

The use of a neutral stimulus, originally paired with one that invokes a response, to generate a conditioned response.

Related Terms

  • determinism
  • free association
  • operant conditioning
Business

(noun)

Classical conditioning was an early behaviorist model. It posited that behavioral tendencies are determined by immediate associations between various environmental stimuli and the degree of pleasure or pain that follows.

Related Terms

  • consumerism
  • Consumer Protection

Examples of classical conditioning in the following topics:

  • Classical Conditioning in Behavioral Therapy

  • Applications of Classical Conditioning to Human Behavior

  • Basic Principles of Classical Conditioning

    • Classical conditioning occurs when an unconditioned response becomes a conditional response to an unrelated conditional stimulus.
    • Classical conditioning is a form of learning whereby a conditioned stimulus (CS) becomes associated with an unrelated unconditioned stimulus (US), in order to produce a behavioral response known as a conditioned response (CR).
    • The conditioned stimulus is usually neutral and produces no particular response at first, but after conditioning it elicits the conditioned response.
    • The conditioned stimulus was the ringing of the bell.
    • The conditioned response, therefore, was the salivation of the dogs in response to the conditioned stimulus (the ringing of the bell) .
  • Conditioned Behavior

    • In classical conditioning, a behavior is paired with an unrelated stimulus; in operant conditioning, behaviors are modified by consequences.
    • Two types of conditioning techniques include classical and operant conditioning.
    • In classical conditioning, a response called the conditioned response is associated with a stimulus that it had previously not been associated with, the conditioned stimulus.
    • The most cited example of classical conditioning is Ivan Pavlov's experiments with dogs .
    • In the classic Pavlovian response, the dog becomes conditioned to associate the ringing of the bell with food.
  • Basic Principles of Classical Conditioning: Pavlov

    • Ivan Pavlov's research on classical conditioning profoundly informed the psychology of learning and the field of behaviorism.
    • Through his research, he established the theory of classical conditioning.
    • In classical-conditioning terms, there is a gradual weakening and disappearance of the conditioned response.
    • If we look at Pavlov's experiment, we can identify the four factors of classical conditioning at work:
    • With these results, Pavlov established his theory of classical conditioning.
  • Applications of Classical Conditioning to Human Behavior

    • Research has demonstrated the effectiveness of classical conditioning in altering human behavior.
    • Since Ivan Pavlov's original experiments, many studies have examined the application of classical conditioning to human behavior.
    • Watson carried out a controversial classical conditioning experiment on an infant boy called "Little Albert."
    • Some therapies associated with classical conditioning include aversion therapy, systematic desensitization, and flooding.
    • Classical conditioning is used not only in therapeutic interventions, but in everyday life as well.
  • Defining Learning

    • There are three main types of learning: classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and observational learning.
    • Both classical and operant conditioning are forms of associative learning, in which associations are made between events that occur together.
    • Classical conditioning is a process by which we learn to associate events, or stimuli, that frequently happen together; as a result of this, we learn to anticipate events.
    • The conditioning is achieved when the sound of the bell on its own makes the dog salivate in anticipation for the meat.
    • Skinner researched operant conditioning by conducting experiments with rats in what he called a "Skinner box."
  • Behavioral Psychology

    • Learning is seen as behavior change molded by experience; it is accomplished largely through either classical or operant conditioning (described below).
    • The Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov was widely known for describing the phenomenon now known as classical conditioning. 
    • In this experiment, he used classical conditioning to teach a nine-month-old boy to be afraid of a white toy rat by associating the rat with a sudden loud noise.
    • "Operant conditioning," a term coined by psychologist B.
    • Ivan Pavlov is best known for his classical conditioning experiments with dogs.
  • Behaviorism Advocates

    • He discovered that when the bell was rung at repeated feedings, the sound of the bell alone (a conditioned stimulus) would cause the dogs to salivate (a conditioned response).
    • Expanding on Watson's basic stimulus-response model, Skinner developed a more comprehensive view of conditioning, known as operant conditioning.
    • His model was based on the premise that satisfying responses are conditioned, while unsatisfying ones are not.
    • Operant conditioning is the rewarding of part of a desired behavior or a random act that approaches it.
    • This illustration illustrates operant conditioning.
  • Classical Liberalism

    • Classical liberalism is a political philosophy committed to limited government, the rule of law, individual liberties, and free markets.
    • Hence, classical liberals believed that individuals should be free to pursue their self-interest without societal control or restraint.
    • Classical liberalism determined that individuals should be free to obtain work from the highest-paying employers.
    • Classical liberals also saw poor urban conditions as inevitable, and therefore opposed any income or wealth redistribution.
    • Classical liberals extended protection of the country to protection of overseas markets through armed intervention.
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