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Classical Conditioning
CLASSICAL CONDITIONING
Ivan Pavlov can be considered the father of classical conditioning, which involves the association of different stimuli and the ability to anticipate certain events. Much of Pavlov s research was done on dogs. He was actually a physiologist and not a psychologist. Salivation in dogs, he found, was increased with the taste of food, the sight of food, the sight of the food dish, and the sound of the approaching lab personnel. He felt that this represented a learning experience.
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Pavlov began to pair salivation with completely unrelated things, such as a light or a bell. There were, Pavlov felt, unconditioned responses, which were basically reflexes, and conditioned responses, which are learned behaviors. The unconditioned response is to an unconditioned stimulus, such as food. The conditioned response is to a conditioned stimulus, which is the one unrelated to food. The conditioned stimulus is also referred to as the neutral stimulus.
This pairing of some type of neutral stimulus with a conditioned response is referred to as second-order conditioning or higher-order conditioning. It must be relatively simple when it comes to animal behavior. Multiple stimuli presented in a certain order are less likely to elicit a conditioned response in most animals. Classical conditioning does not just apply to animals but can be seen in humans. It also does not have to involve feeding but can involve things like invisible dog fencing.
Classical conditioning involves acquisition, which is the learning process that pairs the conditioned stimulus with the conditioned response. It can take time but, with certain very aversive stimuli, the acquisition phase can be very short—even a single paired event.
The process of extinction is the breaking of the conditioned response from the conditioned stimulus. It can be done by repeatedly not giving the unconditioned stimulus (such as food) after presenting the conditioned stimulus (the bell). The response would get weaker and weaker until it eventually disappears altogether. There can, however, be spontaneous recovery of the response after a period of rest or after extinction has occurred.
