Theory of classical conditioning (or) type conditioning or respondent learning.
The theory of classical conditioning,was proposed by Ivan Pavloy (1849-1936), a Russian physiologist.
Pavlov, while studying the physiology of digestion; found that behavior can be classically conditioned.
He experimented on a dog and found that food placed in the mouth of a hungry dog automatically causes salivation.
In this case, salivation is an unlearned response or an unconditioned response and the food is an unconditioned stimulus (natural).
Later on, a bell was rung each time before the food was presented. Pavlov now found that the dog started to salivate at the sound of the bell and this was termed as a conditioned response.
The bell is a conditioned stimulus (artificial stimulus).
In later studies Pavlov noticed that if he did not provide food after the bell was rung, the dog eventually stopped salivating called 'extinction' and demonstrated thatreinforcement is essential both to acquire and maintain respondent learning.
Pavlov also found that if the dog is given a prolonged rest period during extinction, it will once again salivate when the bell is rung.
This phenom enon is called as spontaneous recovery.
🔹Prior to conditioning the ringing of a bell does not bring about salivation making the bell a neutral stimulus. On the other hand, food naturally brings about salivation, making the food an unconditioned stimulus and salivation an unconditioned response.
🔹 During conditioning the bell is rung just before the presentation of the food.
🔹 After conditioning the ringing of the bell alone brings about salivation. The bell which was earlier considered as neutral stimulus is now considered as conditional stimulus bringing about conditioned response of salivation.
🔴 Classical Conditioning
A type of learning, in which a neutral stimulus comes to bring about a response after it is paired with a stimulus that naturally brings about that response.
🔴 Neutral Stimulus
A neutral stimulus is one which initially produces no specific response other than focusing attention. In other words it is a stimulus that does not produce an automatic response.
🔴 Unconditioned Stimulus
A response that is natural and needs no training (eg. salivation at the smell of food)
🔴 Conditioned Stimulus
A neutral stimulus that has been paired with an unconditioned stimulus (UCS) 10 bring about a response earlier caused only by the UCS
🔴 Conditioned Response
A response that after conditioning follows a previously neutral stimulus (e.g. salivation at the ringing of a bell)
🔴 Extinction
The decrease in frequency and eventual dis appearance of a previously conditioned response one of the basic phenomena of learning.
🔴 Spontaneous Recovery
The re-emergence of an extinguished contioned response after a period of rest.
🔴 Stimulus Generalization
A response to a stimulus that is similar to bu different from a conditioned stimulus: he more similar the two stimuli, the more likely generalization is to occur.
Pavlov theory has also been called as type S conditioning to stress the significance of the stimulus that comes before and elicit the response.
The theory of conditions as advocated by Pavlov, thus considers learning as habit formation and is based on the principle of association and substitution.
It is simply a stimulus-response type of learning where in place of a natural stimulus like food, water, sexual contact, etc.
an artificial stimulus like the sound of the bell, sight ol light ofa definite color, etc. can evoke a natural response.
When both the artificial stimulus (ringing of the bell) and the natural stimulus (food) are brought together several times the dog becomes conditioned to respond to this situation as perfect association occursbetween the types of stimuli presented together.
As a result, after some time, the natural stimulus can be substituted or replaced by an artificial stimulus and this artificial stimulus is able to evoke the natural response.
