Classical Conditioning:

The first groundbreaking learning theory in psychology’s history.

Classical conditioning Discovered by Ivan Pavlov

(1849-1936)

Basic Pavlovian terminology Stimulus: Response: Conditioning:

Pavlov and his dogs Pavlov inserted tubes into

the salivary glands of dogs to measure how much saliva they produced when given food.

He found that the mere sight of food made them drool, and later, even the sound of the experimenter’s footsteps!

He eventually realized that he could teach dogs to salivate to a bell!

The experiment

Pavlov’s Classical Conditioning Terms (US) Unconditioned stimulus: a stimulus that causes an automatic,

response

(UR) Unconditioned response: an automatic response to an unconditioned stimulus

(NS) Neutral stimulus: a stimulus that has nothing to do with the unconditioned response

(CS) Conditioned stimulus: An ordinarily neutral stimulus that leads to a response after being paired with the unconditioned stimulus

(CR) Conditioned response: a learned response to a stimulus that was previously neutral, or meaningless

A video clip: http://youtu.be/hhqumfpxuzI

Other classical conditioning concepts

Extinction: Spontaneous Recovery:

Applications of theory in therapy Classical conditioning can be used to cure people of their

fears and bad habits: Systematic desensitization: Flooding: Counterconditioning:

Examples of real-life classical conditioning Scary music in movies Car accidents Cat purring when it hears the sound of a can being opened Phobias: Little Albert, 1920 A difficult class making you feel sick Food or taste aversions: a subject who gets a cold or the flu shortly

after eating bananas might develop an aversion to the taste of bananas

A classic clip from the classic show, The Office: https://vimeo.com/35754924

Your turn: Classical conditioning and advertising Classical conditioning is used very frequently in the media, specifically in advertising and

sometimes in Hollywood. The commercials you see on TV and the ads you see in magazines, billboards, and on websites are often infused with a sophisticated use of Pavlov’s original theory.

A car is just a car, and there are many brands that all can get you reliably from point A to point B. In every class of products, from soft drinks to website hosting companies, there are many comparable choices in every category. So how do companies and advertising agencies work to get you to buy their product time and time again? The answer is often classical conditioning. They want you to implicitly and automatically feel a positive association with their product over all of the other ones, so you will reach for it on the store shelf, even if you don’t have a logical reason why.

So what are some of these primal emotions that are exploited? You might be familiar with the expression, “sex sells.” This would perhaps be the first and most obvious example. Another primal emotion is fear. In political attack ads, what strategies are used to paint the opponent in a harsh and negative light? Laughter can be used as well. Warmth and security can also be exploited in a variety of ways, too. These are just a few ideas to get you started.

Find THREE examples of classical conditioning!

http://ezinearticles.com/?Top-10-Solid-Examples-of-Pavlov-Classical-Conditioning-in-Action&id=2883783

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/02/04/the-14-best-super-bowl-2013-commercials-video.html

http://www.slate.com/articles/business/ad_report_card/2013/02/_2013_super_bowl_ads_godaddy_budweiser_mercedes_blackberry_samsung_and_the.html

Brainstorm a list of your favorite products, stores, and companies. Use YouTube and Google to locate examples of commercials and print advertisements that demonstrate classical conditioning principles. Cut and paste pictures, screenshots, and/or a links to the website with the video below.

Play the Pavlov’s Dog Game! http://nobelprize.org/medicine/educational/pavlov/index.html