Learning and Development Theories

Our understanding of classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and observational learning has allowed us to unlock many of the answers we sought to learn about human behavior. Classical conditioning is a technique of behavioral training, coined by Ivan Pavlov, which basically states that an organism learns through establishing associations between different events and stimuli. This helps us understand human behavior in an assortment of ways. It makes it clear that almost everything we do is based on patterns of stimulus and response. For example, if you were bitten aggressively by a dog as a child, you may be still scared of dogs today. That is because the dog caused you pain, which in turn caused you have anxiety towards dogs.

Classical Conditioning is a type of learning process of an individual when they come in contact with certain stimuli. According to Pavlov, a Russian psychologist, he developed several experiments on learning and he discovered that classical condition is the basic form of learning for an individual. However, according to Pavlov, behaviorism is the view that psychology should be the main objective science that studies behavior without including mental processes of an individual in the investigation. Behaviorism is more about the person’s behavior and how they were influenced to act a certain why, including their surroundings. Thus, from this learning process many behaviorist believes that the basic laws of learning are similar for all different species, including humans. Furthermore, the two major characteristics that distinguish classical conditioning from operant conditioning is that in classical conditioning, an unconditioned response is an event that happens naturally in response to some stimuli such as salivation. Another characteristic is an unconditioned stimuli, which is a process where an individual naturally discovers something without learning the process and reacts to the unlearned response, For instance, when someone put food in there mouth this causes salivation. A conditioned stimuli in classical

Classical conditioning was a theory developed by a Russian psychologist called Ivan Pavlov. He was working with dogs to investigate their

Another behavioural psychologist, Watson (1915) was influenced by Pavlov’s dogs’ (1902). Watson suggested that if reflexes can be conditioned in dogs, then they can be conditioned in human behaviour too (Gross 2010). Watson used Pavlov’s idea of classical conditioning to influence his experiment with Little Albert, where Watson successfully conditioned fear into an 8-month-old boy using a range of different stimuli.

Also explain how you holistically use these theories to work together e.g. EYFS – Holistic approach to learning is known as social pedagogy

Classical conditioning was discovered by Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov 1902. Classical conditioning suggests that all behaviour is learnt through association. Pavlov discovered this through his works with dogs. It was also believed that classical conditioning can lead to the development of phobias. This was demonstrated by Watson and Rayner 1920 with the case of little Albert (gross p162).

In 1903 a Russian physiologist by the name of Ivan Pavlov first developed an experiential model of learning called Classical Conditioning (Lautenheiser 1999). An example if Classical Conditioning would be ringing a bell when it is time for your pet to eat. The pet hears the bell and over time is conditioned that when the bell rings its dinner time thus begins to salivate, and eventually learns to be conditioned to responding to the bell in a specific manner. The bases was that neutral stimulus would be put together with an excitatory one and over time the neutral stimulus would, at some point down the line elicit the response that was associated with the original unlearned response. Pavlov later added an element known as the nonexcitatory, conditioned stimulus which is but together with an unconditioned stimulus (Lautenheiser 1999).

Classical conditioning is a form of basic learning the body automatically responds to a stimulus. One stimulus takes on the properties of another. The Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936) is credited for discovering the basic principles of classical conditioning whilst he was studying digestion in dogs. He developed a technique for collecting dog’s salivary secretions. Pavlov (cited in Eysneck M.W 2009) noticed that the dogs would often start salivating before they were given any food or saw the feeding bucket or even when they heard the footstep of the laboratory assistant coming to feed them. Quite by accident Pavlov had discovered that the environmental control of behaviour can be changed as a result

Classical conditioning is learning by association, was discovered accidentally by Ivan Pavlov in 1902 whilst he was performing an experiment on salivation in dogs in response to being fed. Pavlov observed that over time the dog would salivate upon Pavlov entering

Classical conditioning is learning which has been acquired by experience (Terry, 2009).  Pavlov was the first one to experiment classical conditioning by training dogs how to salivate when they heard a bell ring.  In order for Pavlov to be able to do this, the first step was to show the dogs food.  The showing of food would cause the dogs to salivate.  Afterward, Pavlov would ring a bell whenever he brought food out. The experimenter continued to this many times.  Eventually, by the time the

* Ivan Pavlov (behaviorist) – Started the idea of conditioning, where an inherited reflex comes to be triggered by a stimulus that has nothing to do with that reflex. He showed that even inherited reflexes could be influenced dramatically by learning experiences.

Classical (or Respondent) Conditioning supports the idea that we develop responses to certain stimuli that do not naturally occur. For example, when someone touches a hot stove, their reflex is to pull their hand away. They do this instinctually, and there is no learning involved. These responses are simply examples of survival instincts. However, Ivan Pavlov discovered that humans make certain associations which cause us to generalize our response to one stimuli, and then to associate it with a neutral stimulus that it is paired with.

Classical conditioning says that we learn behaviours by associating the response to the stimulus. An example of this can be found from the work of Ivan Pavlov. In the 1890s Pavlov, a Russian physiologist, carried out some experiments with a dogs. He noticed that when a dog eats food, they salivate: this is an unconditional response to an

The statement that all human reflexes are because of interactions with the environment encapsulates the whole idea of behavioristic psychology. Some of these interactions come from conditioning, more specifically operant conditioning and classical conditioning. The focus of this report will be classical conditioning. Russian psychologist Ivan Pavlov was the researcher who defined classical conditioning with his famous experiment that involved dogs associating salivation with a bell.

While Vygotsky, Skinner, and Piaget have undoubtedly influenced theories of learning and development, they share similarities and differences in their views of child development. It would hence be useful to examine these by evaluating their views regarding what development is, how it occurs, and whether phases of development exist.