1. Learning
Chapter 6

2. Case Study: The Little Albert Experiment
The Little Albert experiment showed that emotional reactions such as fear can be taught through classical conditioning.
The Experiment
Eleven-month-old Albert was conditioned to fear a white rat rather than be amused by it.
Psychologists achieved this by pairing the rat with something that Albert would find instinctively frightening.
The Results
After they paired the rat with loud noises, Albert showed a fear of the rat even when there was no noise.
Albert’s fear spread to similar objects.
By today’s standards, the experiment was unethical.

4. What is Classical Conditioning?
Classical Conditioning: a form of learning that involves the use of a stimulus to generate a specific response.
Russian psychologist Ivan Pavlov pioneered research into a form of learning known as classical conditioning. In classical conditioning, one stimulus causes a response that is usually caused by another stimulus.
Classical conditioning can help people adapt to the environment and can help eliminate troubling fears or other behaviors.

5. Principles of Classical Conditioning
Conditioning is a type of learning that involves stimulus-response connections.
Classical conditioning is a simple form of learning in which one stimulus calls forth the response that is usually called forth by another stimulus.
Pavlov’s Dogs
Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov used dogs in his studies of classical conditioning.
He trained the dogs to associate the sound of a bell with food.
They learned that the sound of the bell meant food was coming.

6. Principles of Classical Conditioning, cont’d
Stimulus and Response
Unconditioned stimulus: a stimulus that causes a response that is automatic, not learned
Unconditioned response: caused by an unconditioned stimulus
Conditioned response: a learned response to a neutral stimulus
Conditioned stimulus: a previously neutral stimulus that causes a conditioned response

7. Pavlov’s Experiment

8. Key Concepts of Classical Conditioning

9. Adapting to the Environment
Taste Aversions
Taste aversion: learned response to a particular food
One-trial learning
Spontaneous Recovery
Spontaneous recovery: Reappearance of an extinguished conditioned response after some time has passed
Extinction
Extinction: Disappearance of conditioned response when unconditioned stimulus no longer follows conditioned stimulus
Generalization and Discrimination
Generalization: The tendency to respond in the same way to stimuli that have similar characteristics
EX. Scared of a big dog that growled, so a child generalizes all dogs are scary and avoids them
Discrimination: The act of responding differently to stimuli that are not similar to each other
EX. Fear of snakes but will visit reptile houses at the zoo; fear of heights but will jump out of an airplane

10. Applications of Classical Conditioning
Flooding and Systematic Desensitization
In flooding, a person is exposed to the harmless stimulus until fear responses to that stimulus are extinguished.
With systematic desensitization, people learn relaxation techniques and then, while they are relaxed, they are gradually exposed to the stimulus they fear.
Counterconditioning
In counterconditioning, a pleasant stimulus is paired repeatedly with a fearful one, counteracting the fear.
Conditioning in a Nutshell