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Classical conditioning - Coggle Diagram
Classical conditioning
CISAC
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can explain:
- simple learned associations e.g. phobias
issues and debates:
- reductionist - reduces very complex behaviour just down to simple stimuli and responses
- nature/nurture - only takes nurture into account, ignores all biological explanations
studies:
- Watson and Rayner (1920)
- Pavlov (1927)
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conditioned stimulus:
the neutral stimulus that now brings about the UCR as a CR, after several pairings with the UCS
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conditioned response:
previously a UCR, now brought about by the CS
Watson and Rayner (1920)
procedure
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- white rat presented - Little Albert showed no fear
- Watson hid behind a curtain and banged a metal bar with a hammer to bring about a fear response
- the rat was presented with the hammer banging the metal bar several times
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findings and conclusion
- the white rat became a conditioned stimulus, bringing about the CR of fear
- Albert had learned to fear the rat and other fluffy white animals through classical conditioning
- over time his response became weaker
aim
to see if they could classically condition a human to be afraid of something that they previously didn't fear
GRAVE
application:
- can explain how things like phobias can be developed
- can lead to treatments such as systematic desensitisation & flooding
internal validity:
- controlled carefully, e.g. Watson hid behind a curtain when hitting the hammer so he/the hammer wouldn't become a CS
- made sure Albert had no fear of rats beforehand
reliability:
- all stages carefully documented & filmed, inc. standardised procedures, allows for replication
- filming shows inter-rater reliability as others can view and see Albert's fear response
ecological validity:
- lab environment may have been distressing for Albert, also artificial so low ecological validity
- hearing a loud noise when seeing animals lacks mundane realism
generalisability:
- low as the only ppt was a baby boy
- may not be generalisable to how older children or adults learn; we continue learning throughout life
ethics:
- low as they intentionally made Albert distressed
- no protection from psychological harm
- phobic response was not extinguished so Albert may have continued to fear all white fluffy creatures
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extinction:
the diminishing of a conditioned response, after several occasions where the conditioned stimulus has not been paired with the UCS
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spontaneous recovery:
after extinction, if the UCS and NS/CS are paired again, the behaviour will be relearned much more quickly than it was originally