Unit 7: Learning

1. Unit 7: Learning Module 21: Classical Conditioning AP Psychology Mr. Ng

2. Learning • Learning: a relatively permanent change in behavior as a result of experience. • Conditioning: the process of learning associations. • Two types of conditioning: • Classical Conditioning (Ivan Pavlov) • Operant Conditioning (B.F. Skinner)

3. Classical Conditioning • Associative Learning: learning that certain events occur together. • Ex. Lightning & Thunder • Behaviorism: science based on observable behavior. (John Watson)

4. Ivan Pavlov (1849 – 1936) Classical Conditioning • John B. Watson • (1878 – 1958) • Studied Pavlov’s work.

5. Classical Conditioning • Classical Conditioning: Learning which takes place when two or more stimuli are presented together. • Can be used to overcome fears, increasing or decreasing immune functioning, and increasing or decreasing attraction of people or products.

6. Classical Conditioning • Stimulus: a change in the environment that elicits (brings about) a response. • Ex. Doorbell, bright light… • Neutral stimulus (NS): a stimulus that initially does not elicit a response. • At first, subject does not react to neutral stimulus.

7. Classical Conditioning • Unconditioned stimulus (US): stimulus that unconditionally, automatically triggers a response. • Unconditioned response (UR): an automatic, involuntary reaction to an unconditioned stimulus. • Conditioned stimulus (CS): a neutral stimulus (NS) at first, but when paired with the US, it elicits the conditioned response (CR).

8. Classical Conditioning • Conditioned response (CR): the learned response to a previously neutral, but now conditioned stimulus. • Acquisition: learning to give a known response to a new stimulus, the neutral stimulus. • Ex. Makaveli/Nadia acquired a response to a new stimulus (light).

9. Classical Conditioning • Extinction: The diminishing response that occurs when the CS no longer signals an impending US. • Ex. Turning on light without hitting Mak/Nadia with a paper ball several times. • Spontaneous recovery: after extinction, and without training, the previous CS suddenly elicits the CR again temporarily.

10. Classical Conditioning • Pavlov’s Classic Experiment

11. Classical Conditioning • Associating onion breath to sexual arousal!

12. Classical Conditioning • Generalization: The tendency to respond to stimuli similar to the conditioned stimulus. • Ex. Pavlov’s dog would salivate when a different tone was played or if Mak/Nadia flinched when a different light was flashed.

13. Classical Conditioning • Discrimination: the learned ability to distinguish between a conditioned stimulus and other irrelevant stimuli. • Ex. Different anxiety over math test versus ACT.

14. Classical Conditioning Cancer patients after chemotherapy.

15. Classical Conditioning • What did Pavlov teach us? • All organisms can learn to adapt to their environment. • Learning is a process that is observable. • Pavlov’s work paved the way for Watson’s “Little Albert” experiments.