2. LISTENING ACTIVITY
1. Focus and listen carefully to the sound.
2. Close your eyes while listening.
3. Do not open your eyes or remove your
earphones/headphones until the sound is over.
3. QUESTIONS:
1. What are the sounds you heard?
2. What was your reaction upon
hearing the first thunder?
3. What were you thinking as you
continued on listening to the sounds?
6. Ivan Pavlov
• One of most famous contributors in the
study of learning is Ivan Pavlov (1849-
1936).
• Originally studying salivation and
digestion, Pavlov stumbled upon what
has become known as “classical
conditioning” while he was
experimenting on his dog.
7. What is classical conditioning?
A form of learning that occurs
when a previously neutral stimulus is
linked to another neutral stimulus and
therefore acquires the power to elicit
a consistent and innate reflex. Upon
repetition, the individual will come to
expect this response.
9. Pavlov’s Findings Explained
• Pavlov discovered that a neutral stimulus, when
paired with a natural reflex-producing stimulus, will
begin to produce a learned response, even when it is
presented by itself.
10. Components of Conditioning
• There are 5 main components of conditioning.
Neutral Stimulus (NS)
Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS)
Unconditioned Response (UCR)
Conditioned Stimulus (CS)
Conditioned Response (CR)
12. Components of Conditioning
• Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS): A stimulus that
automatically-without conditioning or learning-
provokes a reflexive response.
NOTE: Classical conditioning cannot happen without the US. The only behaviors that can be classically
conditioned are those that are produced by unconditioned stimulus.
13. Components of Conditioning
• Unconditioned Response (UCR): A response
resulting from an unconditioned stimulus without
prior learning.
In Pavlov’s experiment, the
UR was the dog salivating
when its tongue touched
food.
Realize that the UCS UCR connection involves no
deliberate learning or acquisition.
14. FROM NEUTRAL STIMULUS (NS)
TO CONDITIONED STIMULUS (CS)
During acquisition, a neutral stimulus (NS) is paired with the
unconditioned stimulus (UCS) and become a conditioned
stimulus (CS).
o After several trials the neutral stimulus will gradually begin to elicit the same response as the UCS.
Acquisition: The learning stage during which a conditioned
response (CR) comes to be elicited by the conditioned stimulus
(CS).
In the dog’s mind:
15. Components of Conditioning
Conditioned Stimulus (CS): Originally irrelevant or
neutral stimulus (NS) that, after association with
unconditioned stimulus, comes to trigger a
conditioned response (CR).
16. Components of Conditioning
• Conditioned Response: is a response elicited by a
previously neutral stimulus that has become
associated with the unconditioned stimulus.
Although the response to the CS is
essentially the same as the response
originally produced by the UCS, we
now call it a conditioned response
because the results can be
duplicated.
17. CHARACTERISTICS OF CLASSICAL
CONDITIONING
• Extinction: The diminishing (or lessening) of a “learned”
or “conditioned” response, when an unconditioned
stimulus does not follow a conditioned stimulus. [This
occurs in Operant Conditioning when a response is no longer being reinforced.]
– To acquire a CR, we repeatedly pair a neutral stimulus with the US.
But, if we want to reverse this learning, we only need to weaken
the strength of the connection between the two stimuli.
– NOTE: It is important to realize that extinction does not mean
complete elimination of a response.
18. CHARACTERISTICS OF CLASSICAL
CONDITIONING
• Extinction: merely suppresses the conditioned response, and
the CR can occasionally reappear during spontaneous
recovery.
• Spontaneous Recovery: The response after a rest period of an
extinguished conditioned response.
– Spontaneous recovery is weaker than the original CR.
• Reinforcement - If a condition response is reinforced using the UCS
It will remain Strong but if the UCS withdrawn, the CR will weaken.
19. CLASSICAL CONDITIONING APPLIED IN
LEARNING
If a student is bullied at school they may learn to
associate school with fear. [This could happen if a
student is repeatedly humiliated or punished in
class by a specific teacher.] It could also explain
why some students show a particular dislike of
certain subjects for their entire academic career,
regardless of its actual difficulty.
20. Quiz
THE TROUBLESOME SHOWER
Cameron always takes a shower in the men’s locker room after
working out. Normally, when Cameron hears a toilet flush he
doesn’t even notice it. However, during shower he hears
someone flushing a nearby toilet. Suddenly, boiling hot water
rushes out of the showerhead causing Cameron to jump back
from getting scalded by hot water. As he continues to shower he
heard another flush and immediately jumps out from under the
showerhead.
21. Quiz
In the story presented, list the following:
Neutral Stimulus (NS): ____________________
Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS): ___________________
Unconditioned Response (UCR): ___________________
Conditioned Stimulus (CS): __________________
Conditioned Response (CR): ___________________
22. Resources
• Buckley, D. & Budzyna, D. The Whole Child: Development in the Early
Years.
• Courtland Unversity: “Classical Conditioning”
• Wolpe J, Plaud JJ. Pavlov’s contribution to behavior therapy, the obvious
and not obvious , Am Psychol. 1997;966-72.
• Windholz G. Pavlov on the conditioned reflex method and its limitations,
Am J Psychol. 1995;108(4):575-88.
• Holland JG. Behaviorism: Part of the Problem or part of the solution. J Appl
Behav Anal. 1978;11(1):163-74. doi:10.1901/jaba.1978.11-163
• The noble price. Ivan Pavlov biographical.
