Classical conditioning and its most important experiments.

The definitive summary of Pavlovian conditioning.

The Classical conditioning (o Pavlovian conditioning) is one of the introductory topics studied in psychology, and it is one of the basic principles of learning.

Therefore, surely all psychologists and teachers are aware of its importance in associative learning. are aware of its importance in associative learning or in the formation of pathologies such as phobias. phobias. There are few who do not know Ivan Pavlov and his experiments with dogs. For those who still do not know him, we explain his theory in detail below.

Classical conditioning, explained

One of the most important characteristics of is that it involves automatic or reflex responses, not voluntary behaviors (unlike classical conditioning). (unlike Operant conditioning o instrumental). The creation of a connection between a new stimulus and an already existing reflex was called "classical conditioning", therefore, is a type of learning according to which an originally neutral stimulus, which does not elicit a response, becomes capable of eliciting a response thanks to the associative connection of this stimulus with the existing stimulus.The classical conditioning laid the foundations for the development of a new stimulus and the creation of a connection between a new stimulus and an already existing reflex.

Classical conditioning laid the foundations of behaviorismone of the most important schools of psychology, and was born as a consequence of Pavlov's studies, a Russian psychologist who was interested in the physiology of digestion, especially in the salivation reflexes in dogs.

Pavlov's famous experiment with dogs: The conditioned reflex.

Pavlov's research is one of the foundations of the behavioral sciences. In his initial research, Pavlov had observed that after putting food in the mouth of the dog he was investigating, the dog began to secrete saliva from certain glands.. Pavlov called this phenomenon the "salivation reflex".

By performing the experiment repeatedly, he observed that his presence (Pavlov's own) caused the dog to start secreting saliva without the food being present, for he had learned that when Pavlov showed up in the laboratory, he was going to receive food.. So, in order to find out if he was right, he put a separator between the dog and the food, so that the dog could not see it. The researcher introduced the food through a gate and recorded the animal's salivation.

Later, Pavlov began to apply different stimuli (auditory and visual), which were then neutral, just before serving the food to the dog. His results indicated that, after several applications, the animal associated the stimuli (now conditioned stimuli) with food. Pavlov called the salivation that followed this association a "conditioned reflex".

Below you can watch this video explaining Pavlov's experiments.

The theory of classical conditioning: general concepts

Classical conditioning is also called stimulus-response model o association learning (E-R). The results of his research earned Pavlov the Nobel Prize in 1904.

In the process, he designed the classical conditioning scheme based on his observations:

• The Unconditioned Stimulus (IS) is a stimulus that automatically elicits a response from the organism.

• The Unconditioned Response (IR) is the response that occurs in the organism automatically when an unconditioned stimulus is present. For Pavlov it would be the amount of saliva the dog secreted when presented with food.

• The Neutral Stimulus (NS) is a stimulus that when present in the environment does not provoke any type of response in the organism.

• When a neutral stimulus has been temporarily associated with an unconditioned stimulus, it becomes a Conditioned Stimulus (CS)because it is capable by itself of eliciting a response similar to that elicited by the unconditioned stimulus.

• The Conditioned Response (CR) is the response that appears when only the conditioned stimulus is presented. For Pavlov it would be the amount of saliva secreted by the dogs when presented with only the auditory or visual stimulus.

• Generally The CR is weaker than the RI and has a longer latencythat is, it takes longer to occur once the stimulus is present.

Watson's contributions to behaviorism

Fascinated by Pavlov's discoveries, John Watson proposed that the process of classical conditioning could also explain learning in humans. As a classical behaviorist, he thought that emotions were also learned through conditioned association, and in fact, he thought that the differences in behavior among humans were caused by the different experiences that each individualIn fact, he thought that the differences in behavior among humans were caused by the different experiences each one had.

The Little Albert Experiment (by John Watson)

To this end, he conducted "the experiment with little Albert", an 11-month-old baby, together with his collaborator Rosalie Rayner, at Johns Hopkins University (United States), because The aim was to find out whether it is possible to condition an animal when it is associated with a loud noise (a hammer blow on a metal board) that provokes a fear response..

The association of the blow of a hammer on a metal board (EI) and the presence of a white rat (EC), which was previously a neutral stimulus, eventually elicited an emotional fear response (CR) to the mere presence of the rat, thus demonstrating that fear could be learned by classical conditioning.thus demonstrating that fear could be learned by classical conditioning. This is the most common mechanism of phobia acquisition. Needless to say, this experiment could not be performed today, as it goes beyond the limits of scientific ethics.

You can find out more about little Albert's experiment by entering this post:

• "The 10 most disturbing psychological experiments in history".

In 1913, Watson published an article called. Psychology as the behaviorist views it, y proposed to analyze psychology from the analysis of observable behavior rather than from the analysis of consciousness, a perspective that had been in force until then.the perspective in force until then. To this end, he proposed the elimination of introspection as a valid method for psychology, replacing it with objective observation and experimentation.