What is the stimulus in classical conditioning that causes the automatic unlearned unconditioned response?
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Myers' Psychology for the AP Course3rd EditionC. Nathan DeWall, David G Myers 955 solutions Myers' Psychology for AP2nd EditionDavid G Myers 900 solutions Social Psychology10th EditionElliot Aronson, Robin M. Akert, Samuel R. Sommers, Timothy D. Wilson 525 solutions HDEV56th EditionSpencer A. Rathus 380 solutions A person can learn in both conscious and unconscious ways. Behaviors, attitudes, ideas, and the absorption of new information can be learned with or without a person’s knowledge. Classical conditioning is a form of unconscious learning that was popularized by Ivan Pavlov, a Russian physiologist. Today, classical conditioning is often used as a therapeutic technique to change or modify negative behaviors, such as substance use. Read on to find out more about classical conditioning and how it’s used today. Katarzyna Bialasiewicz / Getty Images When Pavlov discovered classical conditioning, he was performing unrelated research on dog digestion. He noticed how the dogs' reactions to the food they were being fed evolved based on stimuli in the test environment, which had nothing to do with the actual food he was giving to them. At the beginning of the experiment, the dogs would salivate only when presented with food. Later on, other neutral noises, such as the food cart coming into the testing area, began to make them salivate because it always occurred prior to the dogs being fed. To test out whether the dogs were actually being conditioned by external and unrelated stimuli, Pavlov set up an experiment that involved ringing a bell right before giving food to the dogs. After some time, the dogs began salivating after hearing the bell without seeing or hearing the food cart come into the room. The results of this discovery led Pavlov to develop the theory that behavior could be learned simply by introducing consistent stimuli. The Pavlovian ImpactClassical conditioning is often considered the most important discovery in the history of psychology, because it forms the basis of behavioral psychology. It can be used in a variety of different ways, from helping people with mental health disorders to keeping domestic livestock safe from ravenous coyotes. Because of Pavlov's findings on classical conditioning, the process is also sometimes called Pavlovian conditioning. Terms to KnowTo fully understand the process behind classical conditioning, there are several terms you need to know. They include:
Key PrinciplesThe five key principles of classical conditioning are:
What Is the Classical Conditioning Process?If the classical conditioning process is successful, a learned response will form based on unconscious associations between two different stimuli. There are three steps in this process: before conditioning, during conditioning, and after conditioning. Before ConditioningPrior to the conditioning, a naturally occurring unconditioned stimulus must be present. In the case of Pavlov’s research, it was simply presenting the dogs with food. The food being presented led to an unconditioned response, which was the dogs' salivating. This response is automatic and not learned. A neutral stimulus is also present but has not yet evoked any response at all. The neutral stimulus needs to be paired with the unconditioned stimulus for it to begin causing a response. During ConditioningThe second phase of classical conditioning involves the pairing of the unconditioned and neutral stimulus to drive a response. In Pavlov’s experiment, for instance, he used a bell. The bell acts as a neutral stimulus, whereas presenting the food to the dogs acts as an unconditioned stimulus. When the dogs hear the bell and then are presented with food, they unconsciously form a connection between the two stimuli. The neutral stimuli—the bell—evolves into a conditioned stimulus. The dogs now respond to the bell in the same way they did when given food because they view the bell as part of the process. After ConditioningOnce the conditioning has occurred and the association is made between the unconditioned and conditioned stimulus, the unconditioned stimulus can be removed from the equation entirely and the response will be the same. A response is now triggered by using the conditioned stimulus by itself. For example, the dogs in Pavlov’s experiment soon salivated at hearing only the sound of the bell because they associated it with getting fed.
Joshua Seong / Verywell What Are Real-World Applications of Classical Conditioning? There are many areas in which classical conditioning is used today, including in mental health treatment, education, and pet training. Mental HealthClassical conditioning may be used in mental health applications because it can be useful to help treat and understand the development of certain disorders. Research has shown classical conditioning principles to be helpful in treating:
Certain therapies are used to help counter-condition some people with various mental health disorders. They include exposure and aversion therapy. In exposure therapy, people with anxiety and phobias are exposed to what they fear most in a safe environment until they are no longer afraid. Aversion therapies replace positive experiences drawn from negative behaviors into negative responses. For example, if a person misuses alcohol, they may be given a medication that causes them to feel ill every time they drink it. This negative response will, in turn, condition them to no longer desire alcohol. Classical Conditioning and PhobiasOne older study looked at how classical conditioning could be used in the fear and anxiety response. It examined the fear levels of a child who was exposed to a rat in a calm environment. The child felt no fear toward the rat. However, when the child was exposed to the rat repeatedly along with loud and scary noises, the child began to fear the rat, as well as other similar-looking fuzzy objects. This shows that although classical conditioning can be helpful in treating mental health disorders, it can also lead to the development of new phobias. EducationIn school systems, classical conditioning can be used to provide students with positive associations within their learning experiences. For example, if a student has to give a presentation in front of the class but feels great anxiety because of it, a teacher can develop certain positive stimuli that can later be associated with public speaking. The student, in turn, learns to associate public speaking with a positive environment. Taste AversionsTaste aversions can improve the survival of a species. One particular study demonstrated this using rats. The rats in question were exposed to a type of radiation that caused them to feel nauseated. Following their exposure, the rats no longer liked flavored water when it was presented to them at the same time as the radiation. The radiation acts like an unconditioned stimulus, because it triggers feelings of automatic nausea. The flavored water acts as a conditioned stimulus, because when the rats were exposed to only the flavored water without the radiation, they experienced nausea in the same way as if the radiation were present. AdvertisingAdvertisers will often use classical conditioning to encourage consumers to buy their product. For example, a commercial may show a product that people enjoy using. Eventually, a person will associate happy people having fun with that product. This association of good feelings could alter a person’s perspective and lead them to buy the product in question. Advertising will also use music as a form of classical conditioning. Upbeat and joyful music will eventually be associated with feelings of happiness for the people that see the ad. They will then associate that company with good emotions. Placebo EffectsClassical conditioning has also been researched as a part of the placebo effect. The research surrounding this area of study has found that classical conditioning can essentially cause the placebo effect to occur. One study looked at classical conditioning in relation to the placebo effect and pain modulation and found that a person can reduce their pain if given certain cues that are associated with lower levels of pain. Pet TrainingClassical conditioning is a highly popular tool used to train pets to be more obedient. It is performed to assist your dog in unconsciously engaging in good behaviors. Classical Conditioning and Your PetClassical conditioning is used to help train pets in various ways. However, it can also occur by accident. For example, if you pick up your keys prior to taking them for a walk, they may not initially react to your keys at all. Eventually, though, the sound of keys will trigger them to believe that they are going for a walk, which will cause a response. SummaryClassical conditioning is a form of unconscious learning style. It was popularized by physiologist Ivan Pavlov after he accidentally stumbled upon it during an unrelated experiment using dogs. The theory maintains that people can be directed to unconsciously respond to a certain stimulus different from what would trigger the response naturally. The idea of classical conditioning has been used in various real-world applications, especially mental health. Others include the education system, advertising, pet training, placebos, and taste aversions. A Word From VerywellWhile Pavlov’s dogs led to the discovery of classical conditioning, not all people will react in exactly the same way. However, there are many real-world ways to utilize classical conditioning for your benefit. Pavlov’s discovery shaped behavioral psychology, but as the study of classical conditioning continues, more gaps will be filled in when it comes to understanding human behavior. Frequently Asked Questions
What is an automatic unlearned response to a stimulus?Reflex: An automatic, unlearned response to a stimulus.
What is the unconditioned stimulus in classical conditioning?An unconditioned stimulus is a stimulus that leads to an automatic response. In Pavlov's experiment, the food was the unconditioned stimulus. An unconditioned response is an automatic response to a stimulus. The dogs salivating for food is the unconditioned response in Pavlov's experiment.
What is the unconditioned stimulus called?In classical conditioning, an unconditioned stimulus (US or UCS) is defined as any stimulus that can naturally and automatically trigger a response without prior learning or practice. It is also called the primary reinforcer.
What is the conditioned stimulus and unconditioned response in Pavlov's theory?Pavlov showed that dogs could be conditioned to salivate at the sound of a bell if that sound was repeatedly presented at the same time that they were given food. First the dogs were presented with the food, they salivated. The food was the unconditioned stimulus and salivation was an unconditioned (innate) response.
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