LNG - Classical Conditioning Lesson

Learning Targets:

  • Describe basic classical conditioning phenomena.
  • Distinguish between principles of classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and observational learning.

AP psychology course and exam description, effective fall 2020. (n.d.). https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-psychology-course-and-exam-description.pdf

Classical Conditioning

Ivan PavlovSo, does your dog know when you say "bye, bye" that he is going for a ride?!? Must be a smart dog! But wait, this may also be the product of classical conditioning. Sorry to burst your bubble!! Classical conditioning is an involuntary form of associative learning pioneered by the work of Ivan Pavlov. The applicability of classical conditioning is all around you! Why do you think Nike specifically uses certain athletes for endorsement deals or perfume advertisers put cute puppies in their commercials? Classical conditioning at its finest ladies and gentlemen! Continue to learn more.

Learning is a permanent change in an organism's behavior due to experience. Learning helps us to survive and interact with our environment. Associative learning describes how we learn to associate events that occur together. Conditioning describes the process by which we begin to associate environmental events and those behavioral responses. In psychology, researchers aim to predict, explain, and control behavior and have accomplished these tasks through various learning theories.

There are two dominant theories in learning that describe how we acquire behavior. The first is Ivan Pavlov's classical conditioning theory. Pavlov accidentally discovered the principles of classical conditioning during his research on the digestive systems of dogs. His research helped us understand how we learn to associate noteworthy events with automatic responses. B.F. Skinner later introduced the idea of operant conditioning, which switches the emphasis from reflex-based learning to learning shaped by consequences. Later, Albert Bandura illustrated the power of observational learning in his experiment with the Bobo doll, thus introducing the concept that behavior is learned through the environment.  

Ivan Pavlov devoted two decades of his life to studying the digestive system of dogs. In his experiments, he would present the dog with food and measure saliva. Pavlov found that the dogs began salivating prior to the presentation of food and decided to further investigate. His findings showed that the animals were creating an association between two stimuli, thus producing a reflective response. This accidental discovery was the beginning of classical conditioning.

Please take a few moments to watch this video on the process of Classical Conditioning.

Special Terms Created by Pavlov to describe Classical Conditioning:

Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS)

A stimulus that elicits a natural, reflexive response.

Unconditional Response (UCR)

The natural reflexive response to the UCS.

Neutral Stimulus

A stimulus that by itself elicits no response.

Conditioned Stimulus (CS)

The former neutral stimulus has now acquired the ability to elicit the reflexive response.

Conditioned Response (CR)

 The learned reflexive response to a conditioned stimulus.

More Classical Conditioning Terms to Know:

View the stages of Pavlov's Classical Conditioning of dogs.

Summary of Pavlov's Method: 1. Prior to conditioning, the food is the UCS and the salivating is the UCR. 2. Prior to conditioning, the bell is the neutral stimulus. At this point it does not elicit the reflex. 3. During conditioning, the bell (neutral stimulus) is presented immediately before the food. The natural reflex is produced. 4. After conditioning, the bell is no longer neutral. It can now be called the CS because it elicits the conditioned reflex. The salivation response is now the CR.

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