Behavioural Perspective

Subject: Behavioral Science

Overview

After doing an experiment on a dog, Russian psychologist Ivan Pavlov created the idea of classical conditioning. In classical conditioning, a stimulus that was initially neutral is repeatedly paired with an unconditioned stimulus until it develops a conditioning. To put it another way, it is the method by which an organism learns to react in a certain manner to a stimulus that did not previously cause that reaction. Because the organism (or person) is considered to be passive in the learning process and responds to the nature of the stimuli, this form of learning is also known as stimulus-response (S-R) learning.

Classical Conditioning Learning (also Pavlov Conditioning)

Russian psychologist Ivan Pavlov created the idea of classical conditioning after completing an experiment on a dog. In classical conditioning, a stimulus that was initially neutral is repeatedly paired with an unconditioned stimulus until it develops a conditioning. It is the process by which an organism learns to react in a certain manner to a stimulus that did not previously cause that reaction, to put it another way. Because the organism (or person) is seen as passive in the learning process and responds to the stimulus's characteristics, this form of learning is often referred to as stimulus-response (S-R) learning.

Experiment

Pavlov kept a hungry dog for a few days and then chained him to an experimental table equipped with mechanically operated devices in one of the tests. The dog was kept comfortable, and distractions were avoided as much as possible. The observer remained hidden from view of the dog but was able to witness the experiment through a set of mirrors. It was decided to feed the dog using automated gadgets. Every time the dog was given food, he made sure the bell rung right before it. So, once the bell rang, the food was handed to the dog. There was automatic saliva secretion from theSo after the bell was rung, the food was presented to the dog. There was automatic secretion of saliva from the mouth of the dog.

During the first attempt, the bell alone did not produce saliva until the food was placed in its mouth. Only after several days of repetition of the bell meal sequence, when the dog could associate the bell with the food and expect food at the sound of a bell, did it salivate to the bell alone, even before seeing the food. The ringing of a bell (an artificial stimulus) induced the dog to release saliva even when there was no food (the natural stimulus) ( a natural response). Pavlov deduced from this that a stimulus-response relationship had been created. Finally, the dog has learned to respond to the conditioned stimulus.The technique of establishing a response to a conditioned or artificial stimulus is called classical conditioning process. Pavlov, in a course of his many experiments, demonstrated that the dog can make to salivate to any stimulus, however, unnatural and irrelevant it may be. This discovery of Pavlov made a significant contribution to the learning theory.

Things to remember

Ivan Pavlov, a Russian psychologist, developed the theory of classical conditioning after conducting an experiment on a dog.
Classical conditioning is a type of learning in which an originally neutral stimulus becomes conditioned by being repeatedly matched with an unconditioned stimulus.
In other words, it is the process by which an organism learns to respond in a specific way to a stimulus that did not previously induce that response.
This type of learning is also known as stimulus-response (S-R) learning because the organism (or individual) is regarded to be passive in the learning process, meaning that the organism responds to the nature of the stimuli.

Questions and Answers

Write the concept of Classical conditioning learning ?

Theory of classical conditioning was outlined by Russian psychologist Ivan Pavlov after his experiment on a dog. Classical conditioning is a type of learning through which an initially neutral stimulus comes to elicit a particular response as a consequence of being repeatedly paired with an unconditioned stimulus. In another word, it is processed in which an organism learns to respond in a particular way to a stimulus that previously did not produce that response. This type pf learning is also called stimulus-response (S-R) type of learning because the organism (or individual) is considered go be passive in learning process i.e. organism responds according to nature of the stimulus.

Explain the experiment of Classical conditioning learning ?

In one of the experiments, Pavlov kept a hungry dog for a few days and then tied him on to the experimental table filled with certain mechanically controlled devices. The dog was made comfortable and distractions were excluded as far as it was possible to do. The observer kept himself hidden from view of the dog but was able to view the experiment by means of a set of mirrors. An arrangement was made to give food to the dog through automatic devices. Every time the food was presented to the dog, he also arranged for the ringing of the bell just before it. So after the bell was rung, the food was presented to the dog. There was automatic secretion of saliva from the mouth of the dog.

On this first trial, bell alone did not bring saliva until the food was not placed its mouth. Only after the repetition of bell food sequence for several days, when the dog could connect the bell with the food and anticipated food at the sound of a bell, it salivated to the bell only, even before seeing the food. It was found that even in the absence of food (the natural stimulus), the ringing of a bell (an artificial stimulus) caused the dog to secrete the saliva ( a natural response). From this, Pavlov inferred that stimulus-response connection has been established. The dog has finally learnt to respond to the conditioned stimulus. The technique of establishing a response to a conditioned or artificial stimulus is called classical conditioning process. Pavlov, in a course of his many experiments, demonstrated that the dog can make to salivate to any stimulus, however, unnatural and irrelevant it may be. This discovery of Pavlov made a significant contribution to the learning theory.