Term Paper on "Principles of Classical Conditioning"

Term Paper 8 pages (3531 words) Sources: 1+

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Classical Conditioning

The concept of 'classical conditioning' is applied to indicate one kind of associative learning which do not involve any necessity between the response and re-inforcer. (Classical Conditioning: (www.brembs.net/)the classical conditioning occurs with the association of two or more events since they exist together. (Classical Conditioning: academics.tjhsst.edu/) the Classical conditioning addresses primarily with smooth muscles and is related to the reflexes and instincts. Classical conditioning is considered very significant in respect of the training program. It is possible to use and aware of the conditioned reinforcement, species specific behaviors, aversive stimuli and emotions only through the classical conditioning. Becoming aware of the classical conditioning is particularly helpful in addressing the difficulties associated with fear. (the Foundation of Training: Classical Conditioning) Classical Conditioning probes into the capabilities of the employees to understand new stimuli and link them to natural reflexes giving scope for non-natural cues to obtain a natural reflex. (Classical Conditioning: (www.mucknmire.com) Classical conditioning was the first type of learning to be innovated and analyzed within the culture of behaviorists. Ivan Pavlov, a Russian scientists having authority in biology and medicine is considered to be a major theorist in the development of classical conditioning. (an Introduction to Classical (Respondent) Conditioning)

The Classical Conditioning of Pavlov was meant to be the first model of understanding to be analyzed in psychology. (Classical Conditioning: (www.mucknmire.com) Classical conditioning however does not succeed in recognizing the attributes of an organism and its influence on the environment and other organisms in the environment. (This is the Learning Theories Web: Ivan Pavlov (1849- 1936)) Ever since the time of Pavlov in the beginning of this century, research on classical conditioning has enhanced to a complexity level that is difficult to comprehend but according to a few experts in the varied fields this science seems to have extended. In respect of the neurobiology, the analysis has reached a level where the molecular events can be traced that lead to the long lasting transformation of the synapses accountable for the learning behavior in the animal. On the general consideration, the psychologists have created several behavioral experiments, the sophistication of which has enhanced persistently over the decades. These resources make it possible to devise mathematical models that determine the empirical findings to a rather amazing level. Presently the neuronal nets have included such models and reformulated them further. The simple concept of the classical conditioning gave rise to a significantly successful multi-level strategy to probe into the mechanism of learning. (Basic Concepts in Classical Conditioning)

Pavlov was analyzing the digestive system of dogs and became fascinated with his observation that dogs start to salivate being deprived of food when one of his assistants come across him. He initiated to probe these phenomena and devised the principles of classical conditioning. (an Introduction to Classical (Respondent) Conditioning) This led to emergence of a model experimental procedure gradually. The experiments were made with two stimuli, the conditioned stimulus and the unconditioned stimulus. The unconditioned stimulus - U.S. is considered as an incident that instinctively generates a response known as unconditioned response - UR, irrespective of the fact that there has been no previous training. A conditioned stimulus - CS is practically a neutral signal that being combined with unconditioned stimulus generates a conditioned response that sometimes is found similar to the original UR. (Classical Conditioning: academics.tjhsst.edu/) the summary of the probes made by Ivan Pavlov is: Pavlov first served food to the dogs, and attempted to count the magnitude of their salivary response. Then after, he started ringing a bell just prior to serving food. Initially, the dogs could not respond and salivate till the food was actually served. After some time the dogs started to salivate with hearing the sound of the bell. They could understand to relate the sound of the bell with the serving of the food. According to the theory the instant physiological response is represented to be the sound of the bell to be equal to the presentation of the food. (an Animal Trainer's Introduction to Operant and Classical Conditioning)

In such analysis the incident at the beginning depicts only weak or no single response to a conditioned stimulus- CS, which might be a tone, but a measurable unconditioned response-UR example of which would be saliva production to an unconditioned stimulus-U.S.. An example of this would be food. As the training progresses the CS is frequently presented together with the U.S.; gradually the incident constitute the incidence of relating U.S. And the CS. Subsequently, the subject depicts the conditioned response-CR e.g. saliva production to the CS alone, if such as type of an association has been established and has been memorized. Such a 'Pavlovian' conditioning is in contrast to the instrumental or 'operant conditioning', where generating a CR is able to control the U.S. presentations. (Classical Conditioning: (www.brembs.net/)Skinner termed such kind of understanding as 'respondent conditioning' as in this kind of learning one's response is evident to the environmental antecedent. (an Introduction to Classical (Respondent) Conditioning)

Then after, John B. Watson showed his interest in the methodology of classical conditioning that could be applied to humans. Watson and his assistant Rosalie Rayner began experiment on an 11-month-old infant named Albert during 1921. The objective was to threat Albert of a white rat by paring the white rat with a loud bang - UCS. At the beginning Albert expressed no fear for the rats. However, the combination of white rat with loud noise frequently infused fear on Albert. The noise - UCS induced fear - UCR. The combination of loud noise - UCS and the rat - CS made Albert to fear. The experiment of Watson indicated that classical conditioning could cause some sort of fears. (Classical Conditioning: (www3.niu.edu/acad/)

Stimul (S) eliciting Response (R) results in classical conditioning as the antecedent stimulus results in the impulsive or unconscious response to occur. So as to entail the classical or respondent conditioning, there prevails a stimulus that will automatically or reflexively produce a specific response. This stimulus is known as the Unconditioned Stimulus or UCS since there is no learning associated in linking the stimulus and response. There must also have a stimulus that will not produce such particular response but will produce an orienting response. Such stimulus is known as Neutral Stimulus or an Orienting Stimulus. At the time of conditioning, the neutral stimulus is observed to first exist, then after the unconditioned stimulus. Gradually the learner is seen to have developed a link between these two stimuli i.e. will learn to make a linkage between the two stimuli. The previously neutral or orienting stimulus will obtain the response after conditioning previously which was only elicited by the unconditioned stimulus. The stimulus is presently known as a conditioned response since it is produced by a stimulus due to learning. Unconditioned and conditioned, which are the two responses, look the same but they are produced by different stimuli and hence accorded different labels. In the fields of classroom learning, classical conditioning basically has an influence on emotional behavior. The elements that make us happy, sad, angry etc. are related to neutral stimuli that attract our attention. To illustrate, if a particular academic subject or remembering a particular teacher generates emotional feelings those are mostly the consequence of classical conditioning. (an Introduction to Classical (Respondent) Conditioning)

The exact timing of the CS-U.S. pairings has a great control on whether the CS can be dependably conditioned to generate the CR. In delay conditioning the salivation produced by the U.S. persistently extends negatively with its association with the U.S. (Features of Classical Conditioning) Pavlov detected that the Classical Conditioning is very strong. The similar response of salivation occurred in the dog that was not near the bell for a long period of time but brought to it again. However, such response could be avoided with presentation of the bell - CS without the food - U.S.. Slowly the dog will be desensitized to the bell and would not salivate further. but, if the bell is presented at a later incident, the dog will salivate but only at a lower rate- that is known as spontaneous recovery. With a view to making the dog stop salivating completely it would be essential to repeat the extinction process various times again. In order to gain the Conditioned Response, Pavlov observed that it necessitates more than many pairings of the food - U.S. And bell - CS. More the number of frequencies of their pairing, the stronger the response observed and this would give rise rapidly to a peak at the level it was the strongest and then it would clear off. (Ivan Pavlov: evolution.massey.ac.nz/)

Supplementing to the food induced salivation other impulses generally applied include access to an opposite-sex con specific so as to condition courtship behavior among the birds, eye-blinks produced by exhalation of air which is directed at the eye, withdrawal of leg from electric shock, along with the more complex group of fear responses to shock as variations in skin-conductivity, variations… READ MORE

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