What is CLASSIC CONDITIONING

The classical conditioning model has been widely used in psychology, particularly by behaviorists, to explain the mechanisms underlying some human behaviors. For example, some forms of neurosis or phobia can be, according to the classical conditioning mechanism, generated by the association of a neutral stimulus with an anxiety situation. With this Psychology-Online article we will delve together about what is classical conditioning, with some examples about.

If you want to know what classical conditioning is and what its applications are, as well as its types and practical examples, read on.

Index

1. What is classical conditioning
2. Elements, principles and characteristics of classical conditioning
3. Types of classical conditioning
4. Examples of classical conditioning

Classical conditioning can be defined as the process by which an unconditioned stimulus, producing known effects, is associated with a neutral stimulus

More recently, a new (neopavlovian) approach has been asserted, according to which classical conditioning consists of the learning of associations between events that allow the individual (and animals) to anticipate and represent the environment Exterior. Therefore, it can be seen as the acquisition of new knowledge about the outside world and not simply as the ability to activate new behaviors.

It is quite well known the experiment through which Pavlov had conditioned his dog to drool at the sound of a bell. The conditioning mechanism consisted of subjecting the dog to two stimuli: the sound of the bell and the administration of food. The canonical experiment of classical conditioning can be outlined as follows:

1. The dog is given food, which begins to salivate: this is the starting situation, where a natural stimulus (food) elicits a natural response (salivation).
2. The "conditioning" begins: the sound of a bell before the presentation of the food, which causes the dog to climb. A neutral stimulus (sound), which by itself would not be able to provoke salivation, is perceived by the dog a few seconds before it is given the food (the natural stimulus) that causes the salivation.
3. After a number of repetitions, when the dog hears the doorbell, he starts to salivate, before food is given: learning has been done.

The dog learned, by association, that sound follows food, and then begins to salivate. Sound has become a conditioned stimulus that elicits a conditioned response. Now, food is no longer the element that causes salivation (which has already occurred with sound), but it has become a reinforcement. His function then becomes to confirm and reinforce the response already after the conditioned stimulus. In summary, the elements of classical conditioning are:

• Neutral stimulus (EN): sound or light stimulus.
• Unconditional encouragement (EI): food.
• Unconditional response (EI): salivation.
• Conditioned stimulus (CS): sound or light stimulus.
• Conditioned response (CR): salivation.

This article explains the variables of classical conditioningor.

It is evident that, put in these terms, the learning process does not imply awareness or reflective capacity. Indeed, it may simply be the repetition of stimuli that induces a certain behavior that, because it is associated with the stimulus, is conditioned. From this point of view, it does not matter whether or not the dog is aware of the relationship between the food, the sound of the bell and his reaction. Learning occurs the moment an association between stimulus and response is created. For this, two main conditions must be met:

1. The temporal proximity between the variables in play.
2. The connection between the variables will be repeated enough times.

There are several types of classical conditioning:

1. Reinforcement: the higher the mating frequency between conditioned stimulus, unconditional stimulus and unconditional response, the greater the intensity and regularity of the appearance of the responses conditioned.
2. Extinction: If the unconditional stimulus is repeatedly omitted, then the conditioned response loses intensity until it disappears.
3. Spontaneous recovery: extinction does not imply the total loss of the possibility of producing the conditioned response, since it tends to reappear for a certain time even if the stimulus is not present unconditional.
4. Generalization: the conditioned response is sensitive to the generalization of the conditioned stimulus (for example, the dog may begin to salivate even when hearing sounds other than the initial one).
5. Discrimination: it is also possible to learn to discriminate between similar stimuli. If only the initial stimulus is repeatedly associated with the unconditional stimulus (that is, only the original sound is followed by food), while other similar sounds are not associated with the presence of food, then a gradual and progressive extinction of the salivation response to similar sounds is observed, while salivation is maintained in response to the sound initial.

Another type of conditioning is the operant. In the following article you can see what is operant conditioning with examples.

Now, how important is classical conditioning in everyday life? In the next section we will see applications of classical conditioning.

Classical conditioning may refer in man to learning specific emotional responses, for example, fear or even the development of phobias, in which the subject associates a neutral stimulus with a considered stimulus fearful.

Advertisers, on the other hand, try to take advantage of classic conditioning by associating a response (purchase) to the sight of their products, pairing them with pleasant stimuli. It is no coincidence that advertisements for fitness products, instead of immortalizing women or men with a "generous" physique, give us threadlike models (pleasant stimulus). They take advantage of the association purchase product-physical model.

• Match popular music along with products in ads to generate positive feelings and taste towards the products.
• Christmas music played in the store It can trigger the sweet memories and habits of giving and sharing in a consumer's mind and thereby persuade him or her to enter the store.
• Political candidates try to get on television with patriotic music background to arouse the patriotic sentiments of voters.
• Constant advertising of a product in exciting game shows it can drive the product itself to generate an exciting response.
• People who receive chemotherapy often vomit during or right after the procedure. After several chemotherapy sessions, people start to feel bad when they see the operating room.
• Seeing food will make you hungry. Soon, every time you go to the kitchen, you will feel hungry.
• If every time you watch a scary movie, you always eat a box of fine mints. Now you will discover that seeing the fine mints makes you feel scared.

This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.

If you want to read more articles similar to What is classical conditioning and examples, we recommend that you enter our category of Basic psychology.

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