Classical Conditioning

1. Classical Conditioning

2. Classical Conditioning • A simple form of learning, which occurs through repeated association of two (or more) different stimuli • Learning is said to have occurred when a particular stimulus consistently produces a response that it did not previously elicit

3. Classical Conditioning • How does your dog know it’s time for a walk? • Why do people have phobias? • Why do we buy ‘brand name’ products? • ALL of these things are learned through classical conditioning! • Advertisers are conditioning you to buy their product!

4. The lynx effect???

9. Ivan Pavlov and his dogs

10. Ivan Pavlov and his dogs • The discovery of CC was an accident • Wanted to study digestion and the role of saliva • Surgically implanted test tubes into saliva ducts so measurements could be taken • Research ran into trouble when the dogs began to fill their cheek tubes before the food was presented • The dogs were learning to anticipate food • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhqumfpxuzI

11. Ivan Pavlov and his dogs

12. The Key Elements of Classical Conditioning • The Neutral Stimulus (NS) - The name given to the conditioned stimulus before it becomes conditioned. NS = Bell • The Conditioned Stimulus (CS) - The stimulus which is neutral at the start of conditioning. It wouldn't normally produce the UCR, but does after repeated associations with the UCS. CS = Bell • The Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS) - Any stimulus that consistently produces a naturally occurring/automatic response.UCS = food. • The Unconditioned Response (UCR) - A response which occurs automatically when the UCS is presented. UCR = Salivation. • The Conditioned Response (CR) - The learned response that is produced by the CS. CR = Salivation in response to the Bell (CS).

13. Why buy brand names? • Coles-Myer executive quoted in response to an official enquiry – “non-branded footwear often incorporates the same or similar methods of construction, technology and components/materials. Moreover it is often sourced from the same factory as branded footwear. The commercial reality is that without a brand the consumer perceives no value that warrants a premium price.”

14. Advertising is Classical Conditioning • Advertising executive – “If you think about what Pavlov did, he actually took a neutral object and, by associating it with a meaningful object, made it a symbol of something else, he imbued it with imagery, he gave it added value, and isn’t that what we try and do in modern advertising” • On average people in western countries are exposed to 9000 advertising messages a day

15. Elements of Classical Conditioning

16. Acquisition • The overall process during which an organisms learns to associate two events.

17. Extinction • When the UCS is no longer presented along with the CS • Eventually the CS becomes meaningless • CR stops

18. Spontaneous Recovery • Extinction has occurred • A rest period take place • When CS reintroduced the CR again appears • CR is weaker than when first conditioned

19. Stimulus Generalisation • The organism will respond by producing a CR to stimuli that are similar to the CS • Eg. Dogs in Pavlov’s experiment would salivate to a bell, a chime, an alarm clock etc. • Eg. A child who was bitten by a dog now fears all dogs not just pit bull terriers

20. Stimulus Discrimination • The organism only responds to the CS and no other similar stimuli • Eg. Your dog gets excited when you put your Nike runners on, not any other white shoes • Eg. Consumers only by coke, not any cola in red and white packaging

21. VCAA, 2007 • Marnieis a nurse at a country hospital. Jimmy, an 8-year-old boy, attends the hospital each fortnight for treatment. On his first visit, Marnie gave him an injection which was very painful. Now he screams when he is approached by a nurse, even if he does not need an injection. • According to the classical conditioning model of learning, identify the • i. unconditioned stimulus • ii. conditioned stimulus • iii. unconditioned response • iv. conditioned response

22. VCAA 2006 • Elise is walking along a busy street listening to her favourite song on her MP3 player. She accidentally steps on to the road and is narrowly missed by a bus driving past. Elise is very upset, and for several days afterwards her hands shake, and she finds herself bursting into tears. A week later, after these symptoms have subsided, Elise is listening to the radio while lying in bed. She hears her favourite song again and her hands start shaking and she starts crying. • In this scenario, what is the • i. conditioned stimulus? • ii. conditioned response? • iii. unconditioned stimulus? • iv. unconditioned response?

23. VCAA 2006 continued • A month later, another band releases a new version of Elise’s favourite song. When Elise hears this version of her favourite song, she bursts into tears and her hands start shaking. • This is an example of______________________ • After a year, Elise can listen to any version of her favourite song without any reaction. She does not burst into tears and her hands do not shake. • These reactions are now no longer present because of the process of ___________________

24. Ethical? Not really…. Classical Conditioning Applications

25. Watsons’ Little Albert Experiment • Can fears be learned? • Yes!

26. Watsons’ Little Albert Experiment • UCS – Loud noise (banging steel bar) • UCR – Fear due to loud noise • NS – White Rat • CS – White Rat • CR – Fear due to white rat • Through repeated association (paring) of the loud noise and the white rat, little Albert learns to fear the white rat. • The Rat becomes a signifier for the fear producing loud noise

27. Watsons’ Little Albert Experiment – Ethics Nightmare • No lasting harm principle: Albert suffered psychological damage that was not reversed • Informed consent: Albert’s mother was not told what would be involved in the experiment and did not agree that he could take part in the true nature of the experiment • Withdrawal rights: Albert was not allowed or able to leave the experimental situation • Debriefing: Albert’s mother was not told what had been discovered and was not informed of how they could receive assistance reversing any harmful effects on Albert • Beneficence: The importance of the findings was not sufficient to outweigh the harm done to Albert • Confidentiality: The film was publicly released and Albert’s first name and the initial letter of his family name were well known.

28. Applications of CC – GRADUATED EXPOSURE Graduated exposure • Involves presenting successive approximations of the CS until the CS itself does not produce the CR. • EG. Fear of flights

29. Applications of CC - FLOODING FLooding • Expose the patient to their fear straight away • They will panic at first • Soon realise that nothing bad has happened

30. Applications of CC -AVERSION THERAPY • Aversion therapy is a form of behaviour therapy that applies classical conditioning principles to reduce or stop unwanted behaviour by associating it with unpleasant stimulus. • Sometimes used to treat alcohol abuse or smoking • UCS – Drug • UCR – Nausea • NS – Alcohol • CS – Alcohol • CR – nausea • The alcoholic learns to associate alcohol with the drug induced nausea experience

31. A Clockwork Orange • Alex is a violent criminal who undergoes aversion therapy as part of his sentence for murder • UCS – • UCR – • NS – • CS – • CR – • Alex learns to associate violence with the drug induced nausea thus making him aversive to violence • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NMzepSePD4&feature=related

32. Brain areas involved in CC • AMYGDALA: Amygdala involved in fear response conditioning • CEREBELLUM: Involved in conditioning that involves voluntary, co-ordinated movements • CEREBRAL CORTEX

33. Never ever, ever, ever, ever, ever again! One Trial Learning – Taste aversions

34. One trial Learning - Taste Aversions • Same mechanism as CC • Takes only one pairing • Resistant to extinction • Not often generalised • Most common examples are aversions to foods