A Personal Example Of Classical Conditioning

Classical conditioning is a form of learning that is taught to us through experiences we encounter in our lives. It involves outside stimuli to trigger the condition we have learned to expect. For example, the sound of a lunch bell would trigger our stomach to start growling soon after hearing the bell ring. The expectation of food to come soon after hearing the bell and satisfy our hunger is what makes our stomach growl. This is something learned over time. Expectations can be both good and bad. Sometimes these negative experiences cause us to have certain behaviors when we are reminded of such an event.

In classical conditioning, there are four critical elements: the unconditioned stimulus, the conditioned stimulus, the unconditioned response, and the conditioned response. The unconditioned stimulus (US) is a stimulus that causes a response before any conditioning, and an unconditioned response (UR) is the way something reacts to an unconditioned stimulus (text, p. 256). In my example, the US would be bad bacteria, and it resulted in the UR of nausea. A conditioned stimulus (CS) involves a neutral stimulus (NS), something that didn’t originally cause a reaction, becoming something that causes a conditioned response after a connection is made to the US (text, p. 256). In my example, the

Classical conditioning is the relationship of an automatic response with a neutral occurrence. There are many main components to classical conditioning. Acquisition which is the learning part of classical conditioning where the conditioned stimulus is paired with the unconditioned stimulus. An unconditioned stimulus is a stimulus that instinctively causes a response. An unconditioned response is the response to the unconditioned stimulus that the researcher will document. A Neutral stimulus is a stimulus that may not get a response initially however after time, develops an instinctive response. A conditioned stimulus is a neutral stimulus after is has taught the response by training based on the conditioning. A conditioned response is the response to the conditioned stimulus. Extinction, spontaneous recovery, generalization, and discrimination are all a part of the classical conditioning process (Nevid,

Classical conditioning occurs when two different stimulus are put together. For example, Pavlov’s experiment with dogs that when they see food they salivate but with a bell they wouldn’t, eventually when you paired food and the sound of the bell more times the dogs learned that when they heard the bell they would salivate.

If we review classical conditioning, we can see that an unconditioned stimulus is one that unconditionally and naturally results in a response. In contrast, a conditioned stimulus incorporates an unconditioned stimulus with a neutral stimulus to elicit a response. The classic case that highlights this concept is that of Pavlov's

1. Classical conditioning is a technique used in behavioural training in which a naturally occurring stimulus is paired with a response. Next, a previously neutral stimulus is paired with the naturally occurring stimulus. Eventually, the previously neutral stimulus comes to evoke the response without the presence of the naturally occurring

Respondent or Classical conditioning refers to learning in which an environmental stimulus produces a response in an organism.  Operant conditioning is learning that transpires when an organism associates a response that occurs spontaneously with a particular environmental effect; also called instrumental conditioning. Classical conditioning is when both conditioned and unconditioned reflexes occur due to environmental stimuli.  These responses are usually involuntary responses opposed to operant conditioning which are more often than not voluntary behaviors.  Operant conditioning occurs when one learns how to control the environment through actions and reactions. Therefore, their actions and reactions are used to manipulate the world around them. The two are often

Classical conditioning is a type of learning in which an organism learns to transfer a natural response from one stimulus to another, previously neutral stimulus. Classical conditioning is achieved by manipulating reflexes. Operant conditioning is a type of learning in which the likelihood of a

The process of classical conditioning follows the procedure from Pavlov’s salivation experiment. Before conditioning, when a bowl of dog food is presented the dog would “naturally” salivate at the mouth “in response to food”. Because this response occurs “automatically” and “prior training” isn’t required for hunger, this reaction is called an unconditioned response (UCR) which “is the response that is naturally elicited by the [UCS]” (Powell et al., 2013, pp. 112-115). When referring to a natural response--one is referring to an elicited reaction that is characterized as “an unlearned or innate reaction to [a] stimulus” (Powell et al., 2013, p. 115). Furthermore, the dog food is considered an unconditioned stimulus (UCS), which “is a stimulus that naturally elicits a response” (Powell et al., 2013, p. 115). According to Pavlov’s experiment, when a bell chimes without the presentation of dog food, the dog will not instinctually salivate (Powell et al., 2013, p. 112). Since the bell didn’t initially “elicit salivation” naturally, it’s called a neutral stimulus (NS) (Powell et al., 2013, p. 112). However, through conditioning, as the bell tone pairs with dog food continuously, the dog begins to salivate. Finally, after the conditioning process is completed, the pairing of “food” and the bell “now elicits salivation” (Powell et al., 2013, p. 112). Since the dog’s salivation required some type of continual prompting or, “prior training”, it’s reaction is considered a conditioned response (CR) “and the [bell]” is the conditioned stimulus (CS). By definition, a conditioned stimulus “is any stimulus that, although initially neutral, comes to elicit a response because it has been associated with an unconditioned stimulus” (Powell et al., 2013, p. 115). Responses triggered by a

Classical conditioning involves an unconditioned stimulus that unfailingly elicits a instinctive, unlearned response. For example, if I were to buy my roommate a twix bar every time she helped me study, then eventually, she would associate eating a twix bar with helping me study. I will be training my significant other to wash, dry, and fold any dirty laundry by leaving him a bag of skittles after the laundry is done correctly. I will begin by asking my significant other to wash, dry, and fold a basket of laundry. When the task is done successfully, I will reward him with a bag of skittles. Henceforth, every time he does the laundry, I will reward him with a bag of skittles. The unconditioned stimulus is the dirty laundry.

Classical conditioning is also sometimes referred to as respondent conditioning. Another way to look at this type of therapy is looking at what happens to an individual that then creates a response through their learning to pair emotions with triggers. Classical conditioning is an involuntary behavior or response that can be learned and unlearned. A popular example of this is Pavlov and his dogs. Pavlov used bells and food to trigger his dogs to salivate at the sound of a bell (Corey, 2013).

The term classical conditioning means automatic. An example of this in my life is the scent of food. When you smell a certain smell, an example being cinnamon rolls, you automatically know what the smell is. Operant conditioning is the opposite of classical conditioning. It is voluntary and an environment or yourself controls it.

Even before Ivan Pavlov began experimenting with dogs, their normal physiological response was to salivate when they saw food. An unconditioned stimulus is something that occurs naturally

Learning is the act of changing an organism’s behavior in response to an experience. Associative learning is when an organism links two events that occur close in time. When an organism learns to make associations, it is being conditioned. There are two types of conditioning. Operant conditioning is when an organism associates an action and the consequence of that action. It results in the organism adapting its behavior to maximize rewards and minimize punishment (Skinner). On the other hand, classical conditioning is a type of learning where an organism associates a certain stimulus and the response to it with a different stimulus. A neutral stimulus is associated with an unconditioned response to an unconditioned

One example of classical conditioning that I have experienced in my everyday life is my cat’s response to hitting a spoon on a can of cat food. Classical conditioning involves learning a new behavior through the process of association. A new behavior can easily be learned by conditioning a person or pet to respond to a certain stimulus. My cat is a perfect example of classical conditioning that I see every day. Every morning when it is time to feed my cat I walk outside and hit a spoon on the side of her cat food can. As soon as the spoon strikes the can my cat comes running. The unconditioned stimulus is the sound of hitting the spoon on the can, and the unconditioned response is my cat receives food. Now, whenever I hit a can of food with a spoon my cat will come running because she assumes that I am about to feed her. Now that I know what my cat’s response is to the sound I often use it to my advantage. If I want my cat’s attention all I have to do is make the sound and she will come running.