With Reference to Research Evidence (Theories and Studies), Explain in Detail the Principles of Classical Conditioning; Describe the Use of Classical Conditioning in a Number of Therapeutic Techniques and Evaluate the Effectiveness of Such Therapies

In the text “Relaxing Your Fears away,” the author presents how Joseph Wolpe, a behavior therapist, used a behavioral technique called systematic desensitization to treat anxiety disorders. Systematic desensitization is a technique that is supposed to lower a person’s level of anxiety steadily. The reason he used this technique was to see if this technique actually worked using his prior ideas that two feelings or responses cannot occur at the same time. Wolpe focused on the phobias his patients had and proposed that when his patients were in a relaxed state, then they would not respond with fear when presented with something that gave them anxiety.

I learned to feel nauseous when I ate broccoli and cheese soup through classical conditioning. It’s an example of classical conditioning because a connection was created between two stimuli, bacteria and broccoli and cheese soup, that resulted in a response, nausea, that was biologically out of my control (text, p. 254). Furthermore, operant conditioning involves an existing behavior being either encouraged or discouraged, and in this case, there was not a preexisting behavior (text, p. 263).

Classical conditioning is a type of associative learning which occurs when two stimuli are paired together repetitively and therefore become associated with each other eventually producing the same response. Classical conditioning was developed from the findings of Ivan Pavlov to account for associations between neutral stimuli and reflexive behavior such as salivation. Pavlov (1927) accidently discovered that dogs began to salivate before they had tasted their food. To support his theory, he carried out experiments using dogs which involved measuring the amount of saliva they produced. In his experiments, food started off as an unconditioned stimulus (UCS) which produced salivation, an unconditioned response (UCR). They are both unconditioned as they occur naturally without being learned. The dogs were presented with a bell (NS), this provided no salivation. The bell and food were presented together and after many trails an

Classical conditioning is often associated with physiologist Ivan Pavlov’s experiment with the salivating dog (Hutchinson, 2015). This experiment focused on conditioning the dog to associate food with the bell while salivating, and eventually salivates when the bell is rung even without the presence of food. Operant conditioning theory is changed behavior as the result of a reinforcement (Hutchinson, 2015). In our society, we associate positive reinforcements with compliments, smiles, high-fives in order to encourage a behavior more. Negative reinforcement involves jail, detention, and grounding, and this is to stop a behavior from continuing. A cognitive social learning theory states that behavior can be learned through observations, beliefs, expectations, and imitation of others (Hutchinson, 2015). A major difference between cognitive social learning theory and the others, is a lack of manipulation to encourage the individual to follow through with a behavior. Rather, cognitive social learning theories suggest that a change in thinking can ultimately result in a change in behavior (Hutchinson, 2015).

Classical and operant conditioning are two important concepts central to behavioral psychology. While both result in learning, the processes are quite different. In order to understand how each of these behavior modification techniques can be used, it is also essential to understand how classical conditioning and operant conditioning differ from one another. Both classical and operant learning are psychological processes that lead to learning. Here learning refers to the process by which changes in behavior, including actions, emotions, thoughts, and the responses of muscles and glands,

Operant conditioning has made a significant contribution into the development of psychology. However, as with most psychological theories, this theory it has its strengths and weaknesses. Nevertheless, operant conditioning, with both its positive and negative aspects, is very important in promoting learning of desirable behaviors or removal of undesirable

Condition suppression technique was a new way for studying learned fear. According to (William K Estes, Biography, American Psychology, Britannica.com), rats were repeatedly given food after pressing the lever. An electric shock was applied immediately after the food was given. That caused the lever pressing to be suppressed. This allowed Estes to conduct trial by trial in the changes in the learned response. This Paradigm became one of the most widely used techniques for studying animal behavior, and still is used today, according to (Smith, 2014, para.

Ivan Pavlov was a Russian Physiologist who had a significant impact on the field of psychology. Pavlov’s discoveries and behavioristic studies are famous for the influence of many psychological findings that still impact our lives today. A few of his major achievements include developing the idea of nervism which led to the discovery of the basic principles of the nervous system. He also investigated the activities of the cerebral hemispheres, and discovered human reflex theories through his studies on conditioned reflexes. Although these are significant ways that he contributed to the field of psychology, the one that he was most known for was his discovery of classical conditioning which he found while studying the digestive system.

Aversion therapy is the use of classical conditioning by using this method would cause a strong feeling of dislike or disgust, and is paired with an undesirable behavior to reduce or eliminate that behavior. An example of this is an individual who may be an alcoholic and to help them to stop drinking, a negative experience put into placed, by placing drugs in their drink causing them to get sick. Now this individual links the adverse experience to the conditioned stimulus and might avoid it. The above situation the woman is already suffering from high anxiety, using this treatment may not be

Classical conditioning is the theory that involves a subject learning a new behavior by the process of association. A naturally occuring stimulus (the unconditioned stimulus) is paired with a response (the unconditioned response). Then, a neutral stimulus (the conditioned stimulus) is paired with the unconditioned stimulus and eventually the conditioned stimulus produces the initial response of the unconditioned stimulus without the unconditioned stimulus being present. The response, therefore, becomes the conditioned response. This study had a major influence on the psychological study of behaviorism. “Behaviorism is based on the assumption that learning occurs through interactions with the environment” (Cherry 1). Classical conditioning

“The aversion therapy is considered a type of psychological treatment, where patients will be exposed to different types of stimulus and at the same time it will experience some type of discomfort (Lieberman, 2012).”This treatment is based on the principles of classical conditioning; using classical conditioning to get rid of addictions or unwanted behaviours. Patient’s unwanted addiction is paired with a drug that makes them sick.

First, in psychology, the theory is utilized by psychologists to analyze and study behavior. Medical practitioners use the theory to try and reveal how an individual is different as opposed to other people in the society. Some negative behavior practices such as fear and anxiety can be eliminated through the application of the theory to patients. Fear is a stimulus that instills timidity and lack of activity in people. Patients presenting with panic disorders and anxiety disorders can be subjected to continuous fear which will eventually enable them to develop the right coping mechanisms (Bastable, 2014, p. 56). The repeated exposure to the fear while under controlled and relaxed nonfighting states makes the patient learn that the fearful situation will not bring harm when it happens in the future. In the clinical set-up, the idea has been used in preparing patients for certain painful

My research paper on cognitive behavior therapy took me into many different directions, all of them were very interesting and fascinating to say the least. Cognitive Behavior therapy was initiated in the late 1950s and early 1960s by Aaron T. Beck, MD (Beck, 2011). The origin of cognitive behavior therapy stems from classical conditioning and instrumental conditioning (operant conditioning) (Craske, 2010). The topics will be on the treatment of anxiety, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and depression.

The founder and main contributor in the development of classical conditioning is Russian psychologists Ivan Pavlov. Pavlov, is an acclaimed man of science, who is prominently known for his investigations and experimental findings known as Pavlov’s dogs. While further exploring the canine digestive system, he

Two experimental procedures designed to provide empirical evidence for inhibitory conditioning during classical conditioning are the Summation and Retardation tests. Inhibitory Conditioning (CS¯) refers to prevention or reduction of a conditioned response (CR) due to the presence of a conditioned stimulus (CS). The Encyclopaedia of the Sciences of Learning defines conditioned inhibition as “conveying information that a possible future event is less likely than it would be otherwise”. Consequently the CS¯ is used as a signal to predict the absence of the CR, where it would be expected to usually occur. The CS¯ is thus used to inform us that something will not happen, comparatively to the excitatory stimulus (CS⁺) which conveys that something