BEHAVIORIST VIEW OF LEARNING AND CLASSICAL CONDITIONING

Norvin Aquerido

BEHAVIORIST VIEWS OF LEARNING

Learning is a relatively enduring change in observable behavior that occurs as a result of experience (Skinner 1953; Walker 1996)

LEARNING An Enduring change in observable behavior that occurs as a result of experience

CONTIGUITY Simple stimulus- response learning

CLASSICAL CONDITIONING Emotional and physiological response to stimuli

OPERANT CONDITIONING Behavior changes that result from consequences

CONTIGUITY
Is the simplest pairing of stimulus and responses, so that if they occur together often enough, experiencing one causes the other (Catania 1998; Guthrie 1952)

 Stimuli is all the sights, sounds, smell and other influences and other influences the senses received from environment Responses are the behaviors that result from the association.

Classical Conditioning

Ivan Pavlov (1849-1946)

Ivan Pavlov was born in a small village in Ryazan, Russia, where his father was the village priest. He is a physiologist who won a Nobel Peace Prize in 1904 for his work in digestion

 As a part of his research, he had his assistants feed dog meat powder, so that their rates of salivation could be measured. As the research progressed, however, the dogs began to salivate at the sight of assistants, even werent carrying meat powder with them.(Pavlov, 1928)

 This resulted in a turn in Pavlovs work and opened a new field of study called Classical Conditioning, or Respondent Learning because the learner is responding to the environment.

UNCONDITIONED STIMULUS
The original stimulus that produces an unconditioned response.

UNCONDITIONED RESPONSE
This is a reflexive (unlearned), involuntary response induced by unconditioned stimulus

NEUTRAL STIMULI
The stimuli that dont produce any response

CONDITIONED STIMULI
Stimuli that is associated with unconditioned response that produce CONDITIONED RESPONSE

CONDITIONED RESPONSE
Response identical or similar to unconditioned response.

Before Conditioning
In this stage, the unconditioned stimulus (UCS) produces an unconditioned response (UCR) in an organism. In basic terms this means that a stimulus in the environment has produced a behavior / response which is unlearned (i.e. unconditioned) and therefore is a natural response which has not been taught. In this respect no new behavior has been learned yet.

 This stage also involves another stimulus which has no affect on a person and is called the neutral stimulus (NS). The NS could be a person, object, place etc. The neutral stimulus in classical conditioning does not produce a response until it is paired with the unconditioned stimulus.

DURING CONDITIONING
During this stage a stimulus which produces no response (i.e. neutral) is associated with the unconditioned stimulus at which point it now becomes known as the conditioned stimulus (CS).

AFTER CONDITIONING
Now the conditioned stimulus (CS) has been associated with the unconditioned stimulus (UCS) to create a new conditioned response (CR).

Unconditioned Stimulus

Unconditioned Response

Unconditioned Stimulus

Conditioned Response

Neutral Stimulus

Conditioned Stimulus

Conditioned Response

Little Albert Experiment

Little Albert was a 9-month-old infant who was tested on his reactions to various stimuli. He was shown a white rat, a rabbit, a monkey and various masks. Albert described as "on the whole stolid and unemotional" showed no fear of any of these stimuli. However what did startle him and cause him to be afraid was if a hammer was struck against a steel bar behind his head. The sudden loud noise would cause "little Albert to burst into tears.

EXTINCTION
Happens when the conditioned stimulus occurs repeatedly in the absence of unconditioned stimulus (Baldwin & Baldwin, 1998) Eventually, the conditioned stimulus no longer elicits the conditioned response.

GENERALIZATION
Occurs when the stimulus similar to the conditioned stimulus elicits the conditioned response all by itself.

DISCRIMINATION
Ability to give different response but not identical stimuli.

CLASSICAL CONDITIONING IN THE CLASSROOM

 Classical conditioning helps teachers understand how supporting classroom environment and warm and caring teachers result in positive feeling toward schools and learning

 Provide a safe and warm environments so that the classroom will elicit positive emotions A first grade teacher greets each of his/her students with a smile when they come in the room. She makes an attempt to periodically ask each of them about their families, a pet, or some other personal life

 A high school teacher makes point of establishing and enforcing rules that forbid students to ridicule each other in any way, particularly when theyre involved in class discussion or responding to teachers question. He makes respect for each other a high priority in high school.

 A social studies teacher encounters students who are anxious about making presentation to the whole class, she has to come in and make their presentation to the whole class, she has them come in and make their presentation to her alone so that they can practice and she can produce reassurance and support.

 He calls on all students in his class, so that being in the in the class associated with responding and making an effort.

REFERENCES
Cherry K. (n.d). Ivan Pavlov Biography (18491946). Retrieved August 18, 2013, from http://psychology.about.com/od/profilesofmajorth inkers/p/pavlov.htm McLeod, S. A. (2008). Classical Conditioning Simply Psychology. Retrieved from http://www.simplypsychology.org/classicalconditioning.html Eggen, P. , Kauchak D. , Educational Psychology windows on classroom 5th ed. Prentice-Hall Inc., Upper Saddle River, New Jersey USA, 2001