What is classical conditioning in psychology?

Classical conditioning is a type of learning that had a major influence on behaviorism, a systematic approach in psychology that emerged in the 19th century. This method maintains that Many behaviors originate from associations between specific stimuli and conditioned responses.

In this article, we will explore in detail this learning process investigated by the Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov, in collaboration with John B. Watson. Additionally, we will present concrete examples to illustrate this concept and compare it to operant conditioning.

What is classical conditioning?

Behaviorism is based on the assumption that all learning occurs through interactions with the environment, which shapes behavior.

In classical conditioning, the learning process occurs through the association of an initial stimulus (for example, the smell of food) that provokes a regular and measurable unconditioned response in the organism (for example, salivation), with a neutral event ( for example, a noise) that did not provoke a response (salivation) before conditioning.

Here comes the interesting thing. After several consecutive presentations, the neutral event will acquire the functions of the initial stimulus, provoking the same response as that one. In this way, a noise could end up causing salivation.

Differences with operant conditioning

Classical conditioning and operant conditioning represent two different approaches to learning in psychology. The first focuses on the association between stimuli and responses, while the second focuses on how the consequences of a behavior affect the probability of occurrence.

As highlighted in an essay by John Solórzano, a researcher who studies learning from an evolutionary perspective, in operant conditioning developed by Skinner, Reinforcements or punishments are used to increase or decrease the probability that a behavior will be repeated in the future.

For example, when a child receives a reward (reinforcement) every time he does his homework, he is more likely to continue doing it. In contrast, if an employee is frequently late to work and his boss decides to take a deduction from his salary, he may strive to be more punctual to avoid financial loss.

How classical conditioning works

So, classical conditioning involves forming an association between two stimuli that results in a learned response. Below, we will explain the three basic phases of this process, and we will use Pavlov’s dog experiment as an example.

Phase 1. Before conditioning

The first stage requires a stimulus (we will call it “unconditioned”) that will provoke an automatic response. To illustrate this with the example above, salivation in response to the smell of food is a natural stimulus.

There is also a neutral stimulus that has no effect yet, for example the sound of an alarm. When this neutral stimulus is paired with the unconditioned stimulus, the evocation of a response will appear.

Phase 2. During conditioning

During the second phase of the process, the neutral stimulus is repeatedly paired with the unconditioned stimulus. As a result, An association is formed between both stimuli. Thus, the stimulus that was previously neutral is known as the “conditioned stimulus.”

In Pavlov’s experiment, he would sound the alarm before presenting food to the dogs. After repeating this process several times, the animals began to salivate when they heard the noise. This showed that the dogs had learned to associate the sound of the alarm with food.

Phase 3. After conditioning

Once the association is created, the presentation of the conditioned stimulus will elicit a conditioned response. The hypothesis that Pavlov tested stated that when two stimuli are consistently presented together, a connection is established between them.

His principles

Classical conditioning is governed by several fundamental principles that help understand how learning is formed and modified.

Acquisition principle

It refers to the initial phase of learning in which a neutral stimulus is associated with an unconditioned stimulus. The more this association is repeated, the greater the probability that a conditioned response will occur.

Generalization principle

After acquiring a conditioned response to a specific stimulus, organisms tend to respond similarly to stimuli that resemble the original conditioned stimulus.

Discrimination principle

It is the ability to recognize the differences between similar stimuli. For example, a guard dog trained to recognize family and friends. In the presence of familiar people, the dog will have a friendly behavior, while it will adopt a protective attitude towards strangers.

The principle of discrimination is essential to adapt the response to the specific situation.

Extinction principle

This idea points out that a conditioned response can disappear if the conditioned stimulus is no longer paired with the unconditioned stimulus.

Imagine that a child links the sound of a bell with recess time at school, which makes him excited. However, other students start ringing the bell as a joke during the day without recess. Over time, the child will stop being happy when he hears the sound, since the association has been extinguished due to the other children’s false alarms.

Contributions from John B. Watson

The American psychologist John B. Watson became interested in the process of classical conditioning that had been investigated by Pavlov with dogs and proposed to apply it to human behavior. This led to the famous experiment Little Albert, taken up in a work published in Behavior Research and Therapy.

The main objective was to investigate how an emotional response, in this case, fear, could be conditioned in a young child. The subject of the experiment was Albert, a nine-month-old boy who did not show fear towards the specific objects used in the test.

In the test, Watson repeatedly presented a white rat to Albert, accompanied by a loud, frightening noise right behind his head. This combination caused the child to become scared and cry. Over time, he began to associate the white rat (a neutral stimulus that became a conditioned stimulus) with the fear caused by noise. As a result, developed a conditioned fear response toward the white rat.

Furthermore, the experiment showed that Albert generalized his fear to other objects similar to the white rat, such as white stuffed toys. In this way, his phobia originated from classical conditioning.

This is why, currently, in the treatment of phobias, techniques based on this learning process are frequently used, such as gradual exposure and desensitization systematically, to help people overcome their irrational fears and develop more adaptive responses.

Criticisms of the experiment

The research is known for its success in demonstrating the process of emotional conditioning in a child. However, it has also been the subject of ethical criticism due to concerns about the child’s well-being, as adequate measures were not taken to decondition his fear after the experiment.

Furthermore, Albert’s full identity is not known and his later life is a mystery. This has led to Ethical debates in psychological research and the importance of protecting subjects in experimental studies.

Classical conditioning in everyday life

Today, we can find numerous examples that illustrate the application of classical conditioning, and one of the most relevant is its use in advertising. As highlighted in a work published in the magazine Optionadvertising uses this learning process as a strategy to provoke a specific response.

In addition to the advertising field, it also has an important place in psychotherapy. Mental health professionals often use principles from this type of learning to help people overcome their fears, traumas, phobias, or psychological conditions.

In short, this mechanism has a pervasive influence on our existence and has a significant impact on our decisions and behaviors, often in imperceptible ways.

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