Classical Conditioning

Classical Conditioning

Classical conditioning shapes many of society’s common, everyday tasks.Why are we conditioned to applaud when we hear sounds of clapping hands? Why do we shut our eyes at the sight of mirrors in horror films? Why do we drool when we smell our favorite food fresh out of the kitchen? Anyone who has taken psychology will tell you that this is because of the way humans act is known as classical conditioning, founded by Pavlov half a decade ago while experimenting on a poor, hungry, dog. Whether we know it or not, many actions we do numerous times a day are a direct result of classical conditioning. To better understand why we act the way we do in society, classical conditioning must be defined and described.

Classical conditioning is defined as: a process by which a previously neutral stimulus acquires the capacity to elicit a response through association with a stimulus that already elicits a similar or related response.Classical conditioning stems from the experiments conducted by Russian scientist Ivan Pavlov. Pavlov's experiments assumed a simplified conditioned response based upon just three primary components: How often the stimulus is presented, how recently it is presented, and response itself. The method whereby the conditioned response is strengthened is through both the frequency that the stimulus is presented and how recent it is presented.

Like many if not most scientific discoveries, it was through sheer luck or fate that Ivan Pavlov stumbled across what would eventually make him one of the most famous names in the field of psychology. Pavlov's famous experiment involved ringing a bell when a dog was shown food. Soon Pavlov discovered that the dog would begin salivating at the sound of the bell, whether he was then shown any food or not. Pavlov made the intellectual leap that connected the salivation of the dog to an unconscious response to a stimulus. That response between the expectation of food and salivation is known as an unconditioned...

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