Classical conditioning

A brief description of Classical Conditioning theory along with its educational implications. Beneficial for students.

1. CLASSICAL CONDITIONING THEORY BY IVON P. PAVLOV Presentation by Dr. Bonnie Amonge Crerar Assistant Professor, Assam Donbosco University, Guwahati.

2. The term classical conditioning is defined as learning by association, whereby a neutral stimulus, by virtue of its occurrence in close time and space with a natural stimulus that gives rise to a natural response, becomes capable of eliciting that natural response, even in absence of the natural stimulus. Classical conditioning is applicable only for reflexive and spontaneous responses, and not for voluntary responses.

3. Top left : Before conditioning, the unconditioned stimulus (US) naturally produces the unconditioned response (UR). Top right : Before conditioning, the neutral stimulus (the whistle) does not produce the salivation response. Bottom left: The unconditioned stimulus (US), in this case the food, is repeatedly presented immediately after the neutral stimulus. Bottom right : After learning, the neutral stimulus (now known as the conditioned stimulus or CS), is sufficient to produce the conditioned responses (CR).

4. EXPERIMENT WITH A DOG In the early part of the 20th century, Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov (1849–1936) was studying the digestive system of dogs when he noticed an interesting behavioral phenomenon: The dogs began to salivate when the lab technicians who normally fed them entered the room, even though the dogs had not yet received any food. Pavlov realized that the dogs were salivating because they knew that they were about to be fed; the dogs had begun to associate the arrival of the technicians with the food that soon followed their appearance in the room. Pavlov divided reflexes into two types: Physiological reflexes and Psychic reflexes. Physiological reflexes: it is an innate process which controls the amount of gastric secretion depending upon the kind and amount of food in the stomach of the organism. Psychic reflexes: a reflex aroused by a stored-up impression of memory, such as the secretion of saliva at the sight, smell or thought of good-tasting food. This psychic secretions was the basis of classical conditioning.

5. Cont……. Food when placed in the mouth of the dog causes it to salivate. The response of salivating is natural. Here, food is the Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS) because the response that it elicits depends upon no special condition. The salivation is the Unconditioned Response (UCR) which is unlearned and implies no pre-conditions. During the course of the experimentation Pavlov introduced the sound of the bell, a neutral stimulus which evoked no response on its first presentation . After a number of pairing of the neutral stimulus with the UCS, it is presented alone. If the neutral stimulus succeeds in eliciting the same response of salivation then it is termed as conditioned stimulus and the response (salivation) is called conditioned response. The process can be represented with the help of the following model: 1. UCS (FOOD)…………UCR (SALIVA) 2. CS (SOUND OF BELL) + UCS (FOOD)…………UCR (SALIVA) sound of bell signals that food is to appear. 3. CS (SOUND OF BELL) ………….CR (SALIVA)

6. Cont…… Classical conditioning is also known as substitution learning because we substitute a neutral stimulus in place of a natural stimulus. It is also known as signal learning since in the pairing the appearance of the conditioned stimulus is a signal that the unconditioned stimulus is about to appear. This theory stated that the response originally made to the UCS becomes associated with the CS and what is learnt is a CS- CR bond.

7. Concepts and principles associated to classical conditioning Extinction : When CS is presented alone a number of times without being followed by UCS, the magnitude of the appearance of Conditioned Response of salivation decreases. This process of gradual disappearance of the conditioned or disconnection of the S-R association is called extinction. Spontaneous Recovery: It was reported that when the dog was brought to the experimental set up after a lapse of time, the dog responded by salivating i.e. conditioned response. This phenomenon of the reappearance of the apparently extinguished conditioned response after an interval in which no pairing between CS and UCS has been repeated is called spontaneous recovery. This reveals that learning is suppressed rather than forgotten, but if suppression becomes strong then spontaneous recovery will be difficult. Stimulus Generalization: Pavlov’s dog provided conditioned response (salivation) not only at the sight of food but to every stimulus like ringing of the bell, light, sound of footsteps of the feeder, etc. associated with it being fed. Responding to stimuli in such a generalized way was termed as stimulus generalization

8. Cont…… Stimulus Discrimination: It is the opposite of stimulus generalization. Here the subject learns to respond differently in different situations. Intensity of the stimulus: By intensity of stimulus is meant the strength of the stimulus to draw attention. There is a positive correlation between intensity of the stimulus and magnitude of the response but there is negative correlation between intensity of the stimulus and delay of the response. The more intense the CS, the more rapidly the conditioning of CR will take place.

9. Educational Implications While returning assignments the teacher should provide constructive criticism and not rebuke the child for making mistakes. The teacher should guide the child to improve one’s writing. In this way the child will develop positive attitude towards learning. Teacher should use effective method of teaching so that students attention and interest is drawn towards the subject, thereby creating love for the subject. In teaching word meanings, the words should be associated with appropriate pictures. Hence, Audio Video Aids should be used. Bad habits and fears can be broken through the process of reconditioning.

10. References: Mangal. S. K. (2003). Advanced Educational Psychology. New Delhi : Prentice Hall. http :// www.bdu.ac.in/cde/docs/ebooks/B-Ed/I/LEARNING%20AND%20TEACHING.pdf http:// vanitha-edutechbdu.blogspot.com/2009/02/pavloveducational-implications.html https://books.google.co.in/books?id=uuQboLeyNUAC&pg=PA133&dq=educational+implications+of+pavlov+theory&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjvgeW5-NrlAhUWknAKHZNQDe4Q6wEIUTAF#v=onepage&q=educational%20implications%20of%20pavlov%20theory&f=false