Classical conditioning is a psychological theory on learning that you no longer have to learn in the new IB psychology syllabus. I however think it is good to know how classical conditioning works in order to understand the underlying biological processes of learning.
In an earlier article I talked about neural pathways. The simplest neural pathway is a connection between two cells. Many basic reflexes are based on simple neural pathways, such as the knee jerk (patellar) reflex. Basic reflexes are simple neural pathways that we are born with, and not developed through learning. The pathways of these basic reflexes can usually be found in the spinal cord. For more complex behavior, the brain is involved. Reflexes and some simple behaviors are elicited by stimuli from the external world (for instance, your eye will be blinking from an air puff, and you will salivate by the sight of food) In terms of classical conditioning, these reflexes and basic behaviors are called unconditioned stimuli and unconditioned responses. Unconditioned stimuli can be paired with another stimuli to create the same response to the new stimuli. This was first demonstrated in a classic experiment by Pavlov in the early 1900s, when a dog learned to salivate to other things than food (such as a bell) after a sufficient number of pairings with the food and the other stimuli (for instance, every time the dog was fed, a bell was rung). When a dog shows a similar response to a stimulus other than the original unconditioned stimulus, it is called a conditioned stimulus. Similarly, a stimulus that elicits a similar response as for an unconditioned stimulus is called a conditioned stimulus. Conditioned responses are created through the making of neural pathways in the brain. This forming of neural pathways works through the process of neuroplasticity. Different areas of the brain are involved in different kinds of conditioning. Fear conditioning, for instance, takes place in the amygdala. In the famous Little Albert experiment, where a little boy was conditioned to fear rats, it can be assumed that there neural changes taking place in the boy's amygdala. The cerebellum (close to your neck), an area involved in motor control, is very important for the processes of classical conditioning. The importance of the cerebellum for classical conditioning has been demontrated in lesion experiments on rabbits for the eyeblink response. Other experiments on the eyeblink response has demonstrated that patients with Alzheimers disease have a decreased ability to learn conditioned eyeblink responses, long before other symptoms of the disease are visible.
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10/11/2013 10:16:05 am
Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.
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AuthorThis is my class blog for IB Psychology. Here I will publish reflections on psychology, reviews of psychology books, recommended links, lecture notes, and information on psychology topics that are not covered by the syllabus. You are free to add comments or ask me questions. Archives
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