VCE Psychology Unit 4 - Classical Conditioning

Study Notes

Classical Conditioning Overview

Classical Conditioning is a learning process through repeated associations between stimuli to elicit natural responses.
Known as Respondent Conditioning or Pavlovian Conditioning.
Examples include anxiety from prior experiences with magpies, excitement from a dog lead, and fear of flying after traumatic events.

Process of Classical Conditioning

Involves pairing the Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS) with a Neutral Stimulus (NS) or Conditioned Stimulus (CS).
The organism learns to connect the NS/CS with the UCS, leading to a learned response over time.

Stages of Classical Conditioning

Pre-Conditioning Phase: Involves the natural reflex response to a stimulus before any conditioning occurs.
Acquisition Phase: Involves trials where the NS is paired with the UCS, leading to the Unconditioned Response (UCR).
Post-Conditioning Phase: After learning, either the NS or UCS can trigger the response independently.

Definitions of Key Terms

Neutral Stimulus (NS): Stimulus that initially does not trigger a reflexive response; termed CS before conditioning.
Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS): A stimulus that naturally elicits a reflexive response without prior learning.
Unconditioned Response (UCR): Reflexive response naturally occurring in reaction to the UCS.
Conditioned Stimulus (CS): Initially the NS, it elicits a response after conditioning through association with the UCS.
Conditioned Response (CR): The learned response that occurs when the CS is presented, previously the UCR.

Example of Emotional Conditioning

An individual experiences emotional response (UCR) from a car crash (UCS) while listening to their favorite song (NS).
The song then becomes a CS, leading to emotional reactions (CR) upon hearing it later.

Additional Example of Conditioned Response

An individual develops aversive reactions to fish (UCR) after experiencing food poisoning from contaminated fish (UCS).
Subsequent encounters with fish trigger the same aversive response (CR).

Description

Explore the concept of Classical Conditioning through flashcards that cover its definitions and examples. This learning technique, originating from Pavlov's experiments, demonstrates how certain stimuli can elicit responses. Perfect for VCE Psychology students looking to grasp this fundamental topic.