Psychology: Classical Conditioning
If you’re having difficulties with understanding concepts such as extinction, generalisation, discrimination, then I suggest that you should first reflect on the basic concepts of stimuli and response. When you have an improved understanding of the basic concepts you will be better placed to understand the other concepts. It is better to slow down and reflect to get the basics right, particularly if you are new to psychology.
According to Classical Conditioning, it is possible to change behaviour via a process of conditioning. Firstly, we need to identify a stimulus (S = stimulus, for example a loud noise). The stimulus will elicit a response (R = response, the loud noise is frightening so the person will respond by looking anxious). To condition behaviour the researcher/psychologist will need to select a different stimulus. The new stimulus could be anything, for example: a piece of paper, a ball, a bell. Let’s say that the researcher decide to select a ball, the ball will now be referred to as a CS (conditional stimulus). The researcher will then start the conditioning process by pairing the S = loud noise, with the CS = ball.
This process of paring the loud noise (S) with the ball (CS) will continue over a number of weeks. The pairing basically mean that the researcher will present the individual with the loud noise and at the same time also show the said individual the ball. This process is repeated over and over again, until the researcher believe that the individual has been conditioned. To test whether conditioning has taken place the researcher will present the ball to the individual, but the loud noise will NOT be presented. If the conditioning is successful then the individual will look frightened/anxious when presented with the ball. This reaction is known as a CR = conditional response.
Ordinarily the individual would not be afraid of a ball, but because he/she has been conditioned through the pairing process, he/she now respond negatively to the ball. This is an example of Classical Conditioning.
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