Classical Conditioning

Classical Conditioning Theory

Introduced by

Ivan Pavlov (Russian physiologist, 1890s).

He discovered it while experimenting on dogs’ digestive system.

Definition

Classical Conditioning is a learning process in which an organism learns to connect a neutral stimulus with a meaningful stimulus, so that the neutral one starts producing a similar response.

Key Terms

1. Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS) → A natural stimulus that produces a response automatically.

Example: Food.

2. Unconditioned Response (UCR) → Natural response to UCS.

Example: Salivation to food.

3. Neutral Stimulus (NS) → A stimulus that does not cause any response initially.

Example: Sound of a bell.

4. Conditioned Stimulus (CS) → When NS is repeatedly paired with UCS, it becomes CS.

Example: Bell sound (after pairing with food).

5. Conditioned Response (CR) → The learned response to CS.

Example: Salivation on hearing the bell alone.

Pavlov’s Experiment (Dog Experiment)

Before Conditioning:

Food (UCS) → Salivation (UCR)

Bell (NS) → No salivation

During Conditioning:

Bell (NS) + Food (UCS) → Salivation (UCR)

After Conditioning:

Bell (CS) → Salivation (CR)

Applications in Daily Life

1. Education – Making learning enjoyable by associating lessons with positive experiences.

2. Advertising – Linking products with positive emotions (e.g., happiness, beauty).

3. Phobia/Fear – A person may fear dogs if once bitten (dog → pain → fear).

4. Habits – Morning alarm (sound) makes us wake up automatically.

✅ In short: Classical Conditioning is learning by association — when two things are paired together repeatedly, one starts triggering the response of the other.