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What is Classical Conditioning?
Classical conditioning is a type of learning that had a major influence on the school of thought in psychology known as behaviorism. Discovered by Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov, classical conditioning is a learning process that occurs through associations between an environmental stimulus and a naturally occurring stimulus.
Classical Conditioning Basics
Although classical conditioning was not discovered by a psychologist at all, it had a tremendous influence over the school of thought in psychology known as behaviorism.
Behaviorism is based on the assumption that:
How Classical Conditioning Works
In order to understand how more about how classical conditioning works, it is important to become familiar with the basic principles of the process. Classical conditioning involves forming an association between two stimuli resulting in a learned response. There are three basic phases of this process.
Phase 1: Before Conditioning
The first part of the classical conditioning process requires a naturally occurring stimulus that will automatically elicit a response. Salivating in response to the smell of food is a good example of a naturally occurring stimulus.
During this phase of the processes, the unconditioned stimulus (UCS) results in an unconditioned response (UCR).
For example, presenting food (the UCS) naturally and automatically triggers a salivation response (the UCR).
At this point, there is also a neutral stimulus that produces no effect—yet. It isn't until this neutral stimulus is paired with the UCS that it will come to evoke a response.
Let's take a closer look at the two critical components of this phase of classical conditioning:
The unconditioned stimulus is one that unconditionally, naturally, and automatically triggers a response. For example, when you smell one of your favorite foods, you may immediately feel very hungry. In this example, the smell of the food is the unconditioned stimulus.
The unconditioned response is the unlearned response that occurs naturally in response to the unconditioned stimulus.4 In our example, the feeling of hunger in response to the smell of food is the unconditioned response.
In the before conditioning phase, an unconditioned stimulus is paired with an unconditioned response. A neutral stimulus is then introduced.
Phase 2: During Conditioning
During the second phase of the classical conditioning process, the previously neutral stimulus is repeatedly paired with the unconditioned stimulus. As a result of this pairing, an association between the previously neutral stimulus and the UCS is formed.
At this point, the once neutral stimulus becomes known as the conditioned stimulus (CS). The subject has now been conditioned to respond to this stimulus. The conditioned stimulus is a previously neutral stimulus that, after becoming associated with the unconditioned stimulus, eventually comes to trigger a conditioned response.
In our earlier example, suppose that when you smelled your favorite food, you also heard the sound of a whistle. While the whistle is unrelated to the smell of the food, if the sound of the whistle was paired multiple times with the smell, the whistle sound would eventually trigger the conditioned response. In this case, the sound of the whistle is the conditioned stimulus.
The during conditioning phase involves pairing a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus. Eventually, the neutral stimulus becomes the conditioned stimulus.
Phase 3: After Conditioning
Once the association has been made between the UCS and the CS, presenting the conditioned stimulus alone will come to evoke a response even without the unconditioned stimulus. The resulting response is known as the conditioned response (CR).
The conditioned response is the learned response to the previously neutral stimulus. In our example, the conditioned response would be feeling hungry when you heard the sound of the whistle.
In the after conditioning phase, the conditioned stimulus alone triggers the conditioned response.
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Source: Cherry K., What is classical conditioning?. Updated September 2019; Wolpe J, Plaud JJ. Pavlov's contributions to behavior therapy. The obvious and not so obvious. Am Psychol. 1997; Holland JG. Behaviorism: Part of the problem or part of the solution. J Appl Behav Anal. 1978; Windholz G. Pavlov on the conditioned reflex method and its limitations. Am J Psychol. 1995; Rouleau N, Karbowski LM, Persinger MA. Experimental evidence of classical conditioning and microscopic engrams in an electroconductive material. PLoS ONE. 2016
Classical conditioning is a type of learning that had a major influence on the school of thought in psychology known as behaviorism. Discovered by Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov, classical conditioning is a learning process that occurs through associations between an environmental stimulus and a naturally occurring stimulus.
Classical Conditioning Basics
Although classical conditioning was not discovered by a psychologist at all, it had a tremendous influence over the school of thought in psychology known as behaviorism.
Behaviorism is based on the assumption that:
- All learning occurs through interactions with the environment
- The environment shapes behavior
How Classical Conditioning Works
In order to understand how more about how classical conditioning works, it is important to become familiar with the basic principles of the process. Classical conditioning involves forming an association between two stimuli resulting in a learned response. There are three basic phases of this process.
Phase 1: Before Conditioning
The first part of the classical conditioning process requires a naturally occurring stimulus that will automatically elicit a response. Salivating in response to the smell of food is a good example of a naturally occurring stimulus.
During this phase of the processes, the unconditioned stimulus (UCS) results in an unconditioned response (UCR).
For example, presenting food (the UCS) naturally and automatically triggers a salivation response (the UCR).
At this point, there is also a neutral stimulus that produces no effect—yet. It isn't until this neutral stimulus is paired with the UCS that it will come to evoke a response.
Let's take a closer look at the two critical components of this phase of classical conditioning:
The unconditioned stimulus is one that unconditionally, naturally, and automatically triggers a response. For example, when you smell one of your favorite foods, you may immediately feel very hungry. In this example, the smell of the food is the unconditioned stimulus.
The unconditioned response is the unlearned response that occurs naturally in response to the unconditioned stimulus.4 In our example, the feeling of hunger in response to the smell of food is the unconditioned response.
In the before conditioning phase, an unconditioned stimulus is paired with an unconditioned response. A neutral stimulus is then introduced.
Phase 2: During Conditioning
During the second phase of the classical conditioning process, the previously neutral stimulus is repeatedly paired with the unconditioned stimulus. As a result of this pairing, an association between the previously neutral stimulus and the UCS is formed.
At this point, the once neutral stimulus becomes known as the conditioned stimulus (CS). The subject has now been conditioned to respond to this stimulus. The conditioned stimulus is a previously neutral stimulus that, after becoming associated with the unconditioned stimulus, eventually comes to trigger a conditioned response.
In our earlier example, suppose that when you smelled your favorite food, you also heard the sound of a whistle. While the whistle is unrelated to the smell of the food, if the sound of the whistle was paired multiple times with the smell, the whistle sound would eventually trigger the conditioned response. In this case, the sound of the whistle is the conditioned stimulus.
The during conditioning phase involves pairing a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus. Eventually, the neutral stimulus becomes the conditioned stimulus.
Phase 3: After Conditioning
Once the association has been made between the UCS and the CS, presenting the conditioned stimulus alone will come to evoke a response even without the unconditioned stimulus. The resulting response is known as the conditioned response (CR).
The conditioned response is the learned response to the previously neutral stimulus. In our example, the conditioned response would be feeling hungry when you heard the sound of the whistle.
In the after conditioning phase, the conditioned stimulus alone triggers the conditioned response.
Contact therapists & counselors now.
Source: Cherry K., What is classical conditioning?. Updated September 2019; Wolpe J, Plaud JJ. Pavlov's contributions to behavior therapy. The obvious and not so obvious. Am Psychol. 1997; Holland JG. Behaviorism: Part of the problem or part of the solution. J Appl Behav Anal. 1978; Windholz G. Pavlov on the conditioned reflex method and its limitations. Am J Psychol. 1995; Rouleau N, Karbowski LM, Persinger MA. Experimental evidence of classical conditioning and microscopic engrams in an electroconductive material. PLoS ONE. 2016
