Classical Conditioning: Definition & How It Works {Latest}

Learning is thought to be an associative process between a stimulus and a response. The stimulus may be an action involving any motive which compels an organism to show an action to a particular stimulus known as a response. In classical conditioning, a stimulus occurs first followed by a response. There are some terms mainly used in classical conditioning such as neutral stimulus, unconditional response, conditional stimulus, conditional response, stimulus extinction, stimulus generalization, instantaneous recovery, and so on. All these terms are the processes that happen in classical conditioning which are defined as given below.

Neutral stimulus: 

An action that creates no response in an organism.

Unconditional stimulus:  

An action that creates a response first time in an organism in combination with another stimulus.

Unconditional response: 

The action or response is created in an organism first time as a result of an associative stimulus.

Conditional stimulus: 

An action that creates a response in an organism without a combination with another response.

Conditional response: 

A response is created in an organism by a conditional stimulus without a combination of another response. 

   

In classical conditioning, a neutral stimulus in association with another stimulus creates a conditional response. When a neutral stimulus is presented to an organism for the first time, there will be no response created in an organism at all. When this stimulus is paired with another stimulus that is familiar to the organism, it creates a response the first time. When this exercise is carried out repeatedly three to four times or even more, then there will be always a response which is called a conditional response. Now, if the stimulus which was neutral initially but is now paired is presented to the same organism without pairing with another stimulus, still there will be a response shown by the organism. That is how the classical conditioning process occurs in all organisms.

When classical conditioning is created in an organism and the same practice is carried out with the organism then there will be a time that organism gradually loses the conditioned response and it will be finished. That process is called extinction. While sometimes, it is possible that instead of an actual conditional stimulus, a similar stimulus is presented to the organisms, still the organism shows a response. This process is called stimulus generalization. When the same similar stimulus is presented, again and again, the organism feels the difference between the original conditional stimulus and a similar presented stimulus and does not show a response, such process is called stimulus discrimination. If ones, the conditional-response is extinct, then it can be again created in the organism by presenting the original conditional stimulus. This process is called the instantaneous recovery of conditional response.

In schools, learning takes place through classical conditioning. According to Aristotle who had the notion that people remember or learn things when things are similar to each other or things are in contrast to each other or learning takes place easily when two things are contiguous with each other. Thus, the last statement which is about contiguity is dominant even in today’s classrooms. On the basis of this contiguity, the classical conditioning theory of learning has been constructed.

Understanding classical conditioning for teachers is important as it can be helpful to plan their lessons accordingly. The teachers can easily develop their intended behaviors among the students in topics of their subject areas that are best suited for classical conditioning.   

Broadening Horizons