Classical conditioning is a learning process discovered by Ivan Pavlov where a neutral stimulus becomes associated with an unconditioned stimulus to elicit a new conditioned response. Pavlov's famous experiment involved ringing a bell before giving dogs food, causing the dogs to salivate in response to the bell alone. Classical conditioning involves three stages: before conditioning where the unconditioned stimulus produces an unconditioned response, during conditioning where the neutral stimulus is paired with the unconditioned stimulus, and after conditioning where the now conditioned stimulus elicits the conditioned response. This theory has implications for understanding reward, punishment, language learning, removing superstitions, developing attitudes, and using audiovisual aids in education.

1. Classical Conditioning
Discovered by Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936)
Experimented with dogs.
Won the Nobel Prize in 1904
# Pavlov’s work was popularized in psychology by
John B. Watson.
# Watson made classical conditioning the
foundation of his ideas.
Sanjoy Mudi

3. Key Terms to know
Unconditioned stimulus. Food is the unconditioned stimulus in Pavlov’s dog
experiment.
Unconditioned response. Salivating from the food.
Conditioned stimulus. The bell before the food is the conditioned stimulus.
Conditioned response. The dogs salivated for the bell the same way they salivated
for the food in front of them.
Extinction. This term is used when you start presenting the conditioned stimulus
(the bell) over and over but without the unconditioned stimulus (the food).
Generalization. This refers to when you can generalize similar things and respond
the same way. Dogs began salivating at sounds similar to bells because they were
generalizing what they learned.
Discrimination. The opposite of generalization, this is our ability to tell the
difference when something is similar but not identical, so it won’t produce the
same response. A horn sound, for instance, wouldn’t make the dogs salivate.

4. Types of Stimuli and Responses
Each of the stimuli and responses in classical conditioning is referred to by specific
terms.
1. The presentation of food to the dog is referred to as the unconditioned stimulus
(UCS) because the dog’s response to the food occurs naturally.
2. The bell is the conditioned stimulus(CS) because the dog must learn to associate
it with the desired response.
3. Salivation in response to the food is called the unconditioned response(UCR)
4. Salivation to the light or bell is the conditioned response (CR) because the dog
learns to associate that response with the conditioned stimulus.

5. How classical conditioning works?
There are three stages of classical conditioning, and there are
specific terms assigned to the stimuli and responses at each of those
stages.
#Stage 1: Before Conditioning
#Stage 2: During Conditioning
#Stage 3: After Conditioning

6. Stage 1: Before Conditioning
#In this stage, the unconditioned stimulus (UCS) produces an unconditioned response (UCR)
in an organism.
In basic terms, this means that a stimulus in the environment has produced a behavior /
response which is unlearned (i.e., unconditioned) and therefore is a natural response which
has not been taught. In this respect, no new behavior has been learned yet.
#This stage also involves another stimulus which has no effect on a person and is called the
neutral stimulus (NS). The NS could be a person, object, place, etc.
#The neutral stimulus in classical conditioning does not produce a response until it is paired
with the unconditioned stimulus.

7. Stage 2: During Conditioning
This is the second stage, where the neutral stimulus (NS) is paired with the UCS, and
the NS becomes conditioned stimulus (CS).
#Relatable example, a stomach virus (UCS) might be associated with eating a
certain food such as chocolate (CS). Also, perfume (UCS) might be associated with a
specific person (CS).

8. Stage 3: After Conditioning
Now the conditioned stimulus (CS) has been associated with the
unconditioned stimulus (UCS) to create a new conditioned response (CR).
#Relatable example, a person (CS) who has been associated with nice perfume (UCS) is
now found attractive (CR). Also, chocolate (CS) which was eaten before a person was
sick with a virus (UCS) now produces a response of nausea (CR).

9. Educational implications of this theory
1. Theory of Reward and Punishment
2. Useful in Language Learning
3. Helpful in Removal of Superstitions
4. Development of Attitudes
5. Helpful in Adjustment
6. Use of Audio-Visual Aids
7. Arousal of Fear, Love and Jealousy

10. Critical Evaluation