Classical conditioning is a type of learning where a neutral stimulus becomes associated with an unconditioned stimulus to elicit a response. In Pavlov's famous experiment, dogs were conditioned to salivate at the sound of a bell, which was paired with the presentation of food. Over time, the bell became a conditioned stimulus that elicited the same salivation response as the unconditioned stimulus of food. Stimulus generalization can also occur, where similar stimuli to the conditioned one produce the same response. Extinction is when the conditioned response decreases and disappears without the unconditioned stimulus, but spontaneous recovery may occur later.

1. Learning
& Classical Conditioning

2. Behavioral Approach
How do rewards and punishments throughout a person’s life affect
their behavior?
We learn to associate certain acts with
the responses they produce… so if my
parents want me to stop sucking my
thumb, they can cover my thumb in
something that tastes bad! Thus, sucking
my thumb produces a negative response,
and I will eventually stop doing it.
The Behavioral perspective focuses on observable behaviors that
can be measured objectively. Behaviorists believe that our behavior
is related to our environment, and we can modify behavior by
modifying the environment.

3. How do we learn behavior?
Learning: a relatively permanent change in behavior
brought about by experience.
Remember the nature vs.
nurture debate? Learning is
what results from nurturing.
During this unit, just remember that
behavior is not 100% the result of
nurture. For example, you might get
better at soccer as you grow older not
only because you have learned to
improve your skills, but also because your
body is becoming physically stronger.

4. Stimulus (Definition)
An event, sensation, or experience that
causes you to react.
• Visual stimulus: you see something, you react.
• Olfactory stimulus: you smell something, you react.
• Gustatory stimulus: you taste something, you react.
• Auditory stimulus: you hear something, you react.
• Kinesthetic stimulus: you feel something, you react.

5. Classical Conditioning
A type of learning in which a neutral stimulus comes
to bring about a response after it is paired with a
stimulus that naturally brings that response.
Neutral Stimulus:
This stimulus does not
naturally cause the subject
to respond in a certain way.
Unconditioned Stimulus:
A stimulus that naturally (no
learning involved) causes a
particular response.

6. Classical Conditioning
Simple definition: Learning to associate an
automatic behavior (or feeling) with a stimulus.
Neutral Stimulus:
This stimulus does not
naturally cause the subject
to respond in a certain way.
Unconditioned Stimulus:
A stimulus that naturally (no
learning involved) causes a
particular response.

7. The “Pavlov’s Dog” Experiment
In the 1890s, Russian scientist Ivan Pavlov was studying
aspects of the digestive process by observing salivation in
dogs, when he made the observation that dogs began to
salivate before the food arrived…for example, at the sight
of the food tray or sound of the assistant’s footsteps.
This work became the
foundation for classical
conditioning and the
behavioral approach to
psychology.

8. 1. Before Conditioning 2. Before Conditioning
3. During Conditioning 4. After Conditioning
Neutral
Stimulus:
Bell rings
No notable
response.
Unconditioned
Stimulus
Salivation
(Unconditioned
Response)
Salivation
(Unconditioned
Response)
Salivation
(Conditioned
Response)
Conditioned
Stimulus

9. Classical Conditioning
Do you think you have been classically conditioned
to respond to anything in a certain way?
If I hear the sound of an alarm
clock, my body becomes tense
and my mood becomes unhappy.
It’s not really the alarm that I
hate…it’s waking up!

10. Classical Conditioning
Another example: you need to get a series of shots. The
nurse always says,“this won’t hurt a bit” before giving you
the shots, but the nurse is inexperienced and always gives
really painful shots! Later before having your teeth
cleaned, the dentist says,“this won’t hurt a bit,” and it
causes you to experience feelings of terror.

11. Video

12. The “Little Albert Experiment”
In the 1920s, John B.Watson classically conditioned a
human baby to experience fear at the sight of white
rats, and as a result of stimulus generalization, at the
sight of other small furry animals.
He achieved this by
creating loud, painful
noises whenever
Albert touched the
rat. Albert began
to associate small
animals with the
trauma of the noise.

13. Classical Conditioning
Simple definition: Learning to associate a
behavior with a stimulus.
Neutral Stimulus:
This stimulus does not
naturally cause the subject
to respond in a certain way.
Unconditioned Stimulus:
A stimulus that naturally (no
learning involved) causes a
particular response.

14. Stimulus Generalization
After a stimulus has been conditioned to produce a
particular response, stimuli that are similar to the original
stimulus may produce the same response.The greater
the similarity between two stimuli, the greater the
likelihood that stimulus generalization will occur.

15. Stimulus Generalization
The greater the similarity between two stimuli, the greater
the likelihood that stimulus generalization will occur.
Albert became afraid of
all small furry animals.
The big black dog
used in the
experiment did
not scare him.

16. Pair-Share:
What do you think would
happen if a dog that had
been classically conditioned
to salivate at the ringing of
a bell never received food
again when the bell was
rung? In other words, if
you keep ringing the bell
without giving the dog food,
what will result?
?

17. “Extinction”
When a previously conditioned response decreases
in frequency and eventually disappears.
Where is
my food?

18. Spontaneous Recovery
After a conditioned response becomes “extinct,” the
response can sometimes reemerge after a period of
time has passed with no further conditioning.
People often wondered if Little Albert might still occasionally experience
fear of animals as an adult…but sadly, he died of disease at age 6.

19. Note This!
Classical conditioning relates to involuntary,
automatic reactions we have to a stimulus. (These
are usually emotional and biological reactions).
You cannot be classically conditioned to
perform a voluntary action (there is a
different concept called operant conditioning
that refers to the ability to make us more or less
likely to perform a certain voluntary action).

20. Other Examples
Once, Jane had the flu. She was eating strawberries
and felt nauseated, and threw up soon after. Weeks
later she no longer had the flu, but the next time
she ate a strawberry she felt sick again. (This type
of classical conditioning is called a food aversion).
Jane learned to associate the feeling of being sick
with eating strawberries.

21. Other Examples
Mark’s girlfriend always wore the same perfume, and
whenever Mark was with his girlfriend, she made
him happy. One day, Mark was shopping and walked
through the perfume department: he smelled his
girlfriend’s perfume, and felt happy. Mark learned to
associate the smell of the perfume with the
happiness he feels around his girlfriend.

22. Other Examples
Ben’s little brother Lenny likes to torment him by
screaming and shooting him with a nerf gun.
One day, Lenny screamed but didn’t shoot Ben with
his nerf gun, and Ben flinched anyways. Ben learned
to associate the sound of Lenny’s screaming with
being hit by a dart.

23. Other Examples
Lilly grew up in an orphanage where she was
neglected and mistreated by the staff. The
orphanage was located in an big, historic manor
house. As an adult, Lilly still feels emotional pain
when she visits that house because she is associating
her negative memories with the place. In fact, Lilly
feels upset when she goes into any big old house
(due to stimulus generalization).