SIGNATURE ASSIGNMENT- PART 1, 2, & 3PAVLOV’S CLASSICAL CONDITIONING

MICHELLE LAMON-PAREDESPSYCHOLOGY 325- LEARNING THEORY

OUTLINE- PART 1

Slide 1- Title “Signature Assignment- Pavlov’s Classical ConditioningSlide 2- Outline for Part 1Slide 3- AutobiographySlide 4- Early Inspiration and WorkSlide 5- Classical Conditioning DevelopmentSlide 6- Ingredients for a Pavlovian or Classical Conditioned ResponseSlide 7- Classical Conditioning IllustratedSlide 8- ReinforcersSlide 9- Scientifically Measuring the Response

IVAN PETROVICH PAVLOVBasic Biography:• Born in Russia in 1849, Died in 1936• Studied physiology and won a Nobel Prize in 1904 for

physiology of digestion• At age 50 began to study conditioned reflex (psychic reflex)• At age 80 began to study conditioned reflex and mental illness• Wrote a book, Conditioned Reflexes and Psychiatry, 1941

EARLY INSPIRATION AND WORK

• Pavlov’s early inspiration came from physiology and the digestive system.

• He observed that stimulation from one part of the body caused a “reflex” in another part of the body. In this case the sight of dog food made the dog salivate. He called this the “psychic reflex”.

• Pavlov measured this response scientifically with a tube and graduated cylinder on the animals.

• He was inspired by Edward Lee Thorndike’s research on the learning process.

CLASSICAL CONDITIONING DEVELOPMENTEMPIRICAL OBSERVATIONS• Conditioned Reflex and Reinforcement• Experimental Extinction• Spontaneous Recovery• Higher Order Conditioning• Generalization• Discrimination• Conditioned Stimulus (CS) vs.

Unconditioned Stimulus (US)

MAJOR THEORY CONCEPTS• Excitation and Inhibition• Dynamic Stereotype• Irradiation and Concentration• Excitatory and Inhibitory Conditioning• Brain Functioning• First and Second Signals

INGREDIENTS FOR A PAVLOVIAN OR CLASSICAL CONDITIONED RESPONSE

• Unconditioned Stimulus (US)- Elicits a natural and automatic response from the organism.

• Unconditioned Response (UR)- A natural and automatic response by the unconditioned stimulus. (Salivation)

• Conditioned Stimulus (CS)- A neutral stimulus which does not give a natural or automatic response from the organism.

• Conditioned Response (CR)- The CS and the US need to be done repeatedly. (Salivation)

• The Training Procedure diagramed is: CS -> US -> UR • The Conditioned Response diagramed is: CS -> CR

CLASSICAL CONDITIONING

A conditioned stimulus, such as ringing a bell causes an unconditioned response, such as salivation and then is reinforced by a reward, such as food. What Pavlov found interesting was when he could ring a bell repeatedly and get the conditioned response, salivation- that originally came because of the reinforcement.

REINFORCERS• Primary Reinforcer:

A factor related to survival- food, water, sex.

All conditioning depends on this ultimately.

In Classical Conditioning, the primary reinforcer is the (US) Unconditioned Stimulus.

• Secondary Reinforcer:

Former neutral stimulus that acts on reinforcing properties by association with primary reinforcement.

After conditioning has occurred, a (CS) Conditioned Stimulus must be a secondary reinforcer.

SCIENTIFICALLY MEASURING THE RESPONSE• Saliva (CR) flowed

from Pavlov’s dog through a tube and into a graduated cylinder so that the total volume of the saliva could be recorded with accuracy.

• Investigating the “psychic reflex” by apparatus.

OUTLINE- PART 2Slide 10- Outline for Part IISlide 11- GeneralizationSlide 12- Comparison of Generalization and Transfer of TrainingSlide 13- DiscriminationSlide 14- Excitation and InhibitionSlide 15- Excitatory and Inhibitory ConditioningSlide 16- Cortical MosaicSlide 17- Orienting ReflexSlide 18- First and Second Signal SystemsSlide 19- The Dynamic StereotypeSlide 20- Irradiation and Concentration

GENERALIZATION

• Occurs when a stimuli can be duplicated with similar stimuli, eliciting a similar response. • There is a relationship between Pavlov’s concept of

Generalization and Thorndike’s explanation of transfer of training. (See next slide)• Using Generalization, the testing and training have much

in common and there is a greater likelihood that the same response will occur.• This illustrates a “learned reaction” to a situation with an

expected response.

COMPARISON OF GENERALIZATION AND TRANSFER OF TRAINING• Pavlov’s Generalization-

With generalization, when the testing and training environments become more alike, there is a larger chance that responses will be similar.

• Thorndike’s Transfer of Training- Here there is an “identical elements” theory of transfer where a organism could learn a reaction to a situation they have never seen before. Yet, they will respond to the new stimulus with a similar reaction to which they are familiar with.

DISCRIMINATION

Discrimination is the opposite of Generalization. By contrast to generalization, this refers to a limited number of stimuli or only one item used during training. The greatest control is achieved through the longest amount of training.

Video: Classical Conditioning: Extinction, Spontaneous Recovery, Generalization, and Discrimination.

EXCITATION AND INHIBITION

• Excitation and Inhibition are two basic processes that control all central nervous system activity and processes. • Pavlov felt that every environmental event relates to

some point on the cortex and that as these are experienced by an organism, they either cause excitement or inhibition depending on what the activity is.

EXCITATORY AND INHIBITORY CONDITIONING• Excitatory Conditioning-

Observed when a conditioned stimulus/unconditioned stimulus paired excites or produces a response.

• Example: A tone (CS) is paired with a puff of air (US) directed at the eye, thereby causing a reflex and blink (UR) so when the CS is presented alone it will cause an eye blink as well.

• Conditioned Inhibition- Observed when training elicits a conditioned stimulus that inhibits or stops a response.

• Pavlov’s Example: Extinction may be due to inhibition that develops after a previous excitatory conditioned stimulus is presented repeatedly without a reinforcement.

CORTICAL MOSAIC

• A pattern of excitation and inhibition that characterizes brain activity at any given time.

• Determines how an organism will respond to the environment.• When internal or external environment changes, this Cortical

Mosaic will also change- and behavior will change with it. • Ties in with the conditioned reflex after a period of stable

configuration over time.

THE ORIENTING REFLEX

Pavlov labeled this the “tendency for organisms to attend to and explore novel stimuli that occur in the environment” (Olsen & Hergenhahn, p.161).

FIRST AND SECOND SIGNAL SYSTEMS

• Conditioned stimuli come prior to unconditioned responses and become signals for events that allow for an organism to prepare for and act on what happens when they occur.

• The first signal system are those stimuli that notify the organism biologically of events of the conditioned stimulus (CS). Example: feeling heat.

• The second signal system are those symbols and words that signify that there is real danger approaching. Example: seeing the words “keep away- fire”.

THE DYNAMIC STEREOTYPE

Consistent and predictable, the Dynamic Stereotype is a state of mind where an organism has been in a stable environment for a long period of time. Responses are familiar, rapid, and automatic. Pavlov stated that if the environment changes, the organism may find it difficult to adapt or change.

IRRADIATION AND CONCENTRATION• Irradiation of excitation happens when sensory information in

the brain causes excitation and then “spills over” into other areas of the brain. Pavlov used this explanation when discussing generalization with dogs recognizing tones causing salivation.

• Concentration, Pavlov felt was a process that was opposite of irradiation and could control both excitation and inhibition. This occurred when conditions were just right and specific areas of the brain could focus in and discriminate. The range of stimuli causing salivation could be narrowed down after prolonged periods of exposure and practice.

OUTLINE- PART 3

Slide 21- Outline for Part IISlide 22- Classical Conditioning StrengthsSlide 23- Classical Conditioning WeaknessesSlide 24- ApplicationSlide 25- Ethical Considerations for the Selected DomainSlide 26- Further Applications Slide 27- More Applications in PsychologySlide 28- Classical Conditioning and MedicineSlide 29- Pavlovian Principles in EducationSlide 30- Biblical ApplicationSlide 31- References

CLASSICAL CONDITIONING STRENGTHS• Classical Conditioning continues to be researched in today’s field of

psychology, education, and medicine.• “By 1965, well over 5,000 experiments following Pavlov’s experimental

procedures had been conducted in both basic research areas and clinical applications” (Olsen & Hergenhahn, p. 188).

• Pavlov created the first theory associated with “anticipatory learning” in all history of learning theory.

• He made significant contributions to the field of psychiatry with his book- Conditioned Reflexes and Psychiatry, 1941.

CLASSICAL CONDITIONING WEAKNESSES

• Pavlov did not address summaries of learning that encompassed complicated processes of the brain and “assumed that a learner’s awareness of CS-US relationships was not needed for learning to occur” (Olsen & Hergnehahn, p.188).

• He did not begin with an intention to study learning when he discovered Classical Conditioning. He felt this theory was relevant only to medicine until 1930.

• He reverted back to Thorndike for both his studies on Reflex Learning and Trial and Error Learning, giving him credit for the originality of both ideas.

APPLICATION

• Classical Conditioning with the Individual: Although originally tested and proven with dogs, Classical Conditioning can be used with people as well. In people with phobias, one technique that can be used is to gradually desensitize someone to that particular stimulus over time with a series of steps. It begins with an “Anxiety Hierarchy” and works through the phobia in a series until it is eliminated.

• Example: “Fear of Flying” phobia Anxiety Heirarchy:

1. Taking a flight on an airplane2. Being in a seat on the plane while it is running3. Being in a seat on the plane with its engines

off4. Being near an airplane5. Seeking an airplane at a distance6. Being inside an airport7. Hearing airplane engines8. Talking about being on a plane

ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR THE SELECTED DOMAIN

• Some possible ethical concerns in the APA Ethical code that could be potential problems for Classical Conditioning are:

2.01 Boundaries of Competence 2.04 Bases for Scientific and Professional

Judgments 3.04 Avoiding Harm 3.10 Informed Consent 4.01 Maintaining Confidentiality 4.05 Disclosures

In the case of Classical Conditioning, Pavlov attempted to conduct his work in the highest scientific standards in order to remain ethically sound.

FURTHER APPLICATIONS OF CLASSICAL CONDITIONING TO CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGYEXTINCTION• Essentially “unlearning” or

“replacing” negative behavior with positive behavior.

• Extinction involves “interference with learned responses rather than elimination of them” (Olsen & Hergenhahn, p.184). Spontaneous recovery can happen over time.

COUNTERCONDITIONING• A more effective tool, the CS is

placed with a US that is different from the original one.

• There are no guarantees that counterconditioning works over the long term or that its effects will be consistent.

MORE APPLICATIONS IN PSYCHOLOGY: SYSTEMATIC DESENSITIZATION • Using Pavlov as a model, Joseph Wolpe (1958) developed a technique

based in Classical Conditioning called Systematic Desensitization. • Primarily used for people suffering from phobia disorders- there are 3

phases: ordering anxiety producers, learning how to relax, and extinguishing the phobia.

• If a phobia is ever going to stop the issues causing anxiety have to be felt without anxiety present.

• After Systematic Desensitization has happened technically the person should be able to cope with the phobia with greater success.

CLASSICAL CONDITIONING AND MEDICINE• Metalnikov & Chorine (1926) conducted experiments using classical

conditioning. With Guinea pigs as test subjects, they tested them looking for specific immune responses proving the immune system could be conditioned. (Olsen & Hergenhahn, p.186)

• Ader (1974) researched aversion to taste on rats using saccharin and a drug. He concluded that conditioned suppression of the immune system gave rise to both viral and bacterial infections, and increased deaths. (Olsen & Hergenhahn, p.187)

• In the future autoimmune disorders may be treated by conditioning the immune system by understanding where immune responses are actually occurring.

PAVLOVIAN PRINCIPLES IN EDUCATION• Every time a neutral event happens with a memorable event, Classical

Conditioning can occur. For example, if you have a disciplinarian math teacher, you may develop a negative attitude about math in general.

• Some Pavlovian techniques are intentionally used to modify behavior in education, such as children watching videos of other children enjoying themselves doing an activity. This will elicit a response when the children encounter this object at a later time if reinforced enough.

• This approach must be considered carefully when planning a curriculum for an educational program because it can have lasting effects on children.

BIBLICAL APPLICATION

• Psalm 111:2 ESV- “Great are the works of the Lord, studied by all who delight in them.”• Proverbs 14:15 ESV- “The simple believes everything,

but the prudent gives thought to his steps.”• Romans 11:33 ESV- “Oh, the depth of the riches and

wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!”

REFERENCES• Olson, M.H. & Hergenhahn, B.R. (2013). An Introduction

to Theories of Learning, 9th Edition. Chapter 7, pp. 149-191. Pearson Education, Inc.