Classical Conditioning

| Classical Conditioning | | | Markeda Shipman | 7/15/2012 |

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Introduction
When we think of classical conditioning we think of Ivan Pavlov. Ivan Pavlov discovered classical conditioning, during 1904 when he began studying the digestion of dogs. Ivan Pavlov is one of the most remarkable men that came up with theories so that we are able to understand what is going on in the world of psychology today. Classical conditioning is one of the theories that will always be brought up in the field of psychology. As we ask ourselves, what are classical conditioning, and the theories behind classical conditioning?
Classical conditioning theory
The theory of classical conditioning is broken down into a three step learning procedure which involves reflexes. The Pavlovian (classical conditioning) consists of unconditioned stimulus (US), “which elicits a natural and automatic response from the organism, unconditioned response (UR), which is a natural and automatic response elicited by the (US), and conditioned stimulus (CS), which is a neutral stimulus in that it does not elicit a natural and automatic response from the organism. When all of these ingredients are mixed in a desired way conditioned response (CR) is occurs” (Olson, Hergenhahn, 2009). When trying to produce a conditioned response, the conditioned stimulus and the unconditioned stimulus are paired several times. “First the CS is presented and then the US, and the order of presentation is very important. Each time the US occurs, a UR occurs. Eventually the CS can be presented alone, and it will elicit a response similar to the UR; when this happens, a CR has been demonstrated” (Olson, Hergenhahn, 2009).
Ivan Pavlov discovered these terms when studying his dogs when he brought out the meat and began seeing the dogs began to salivate whenever they saw food being brought out to them. As he took his experiment further he added bells to see what that would do to the dogs, “the sound, of course, would not ordinarily cause the dog to salivate, but by being paired with the acid, the sound developed the capability to elicit salivation. Salivation is the result of the dogs hearing the sound was the conditioned response.” (Olson, Hergenhahn, 2009).
Scenario
When teaching your child to clean the house you must first show them where things belong and what to do when things are out of place. First show them when something is on the floor you must pick it up and put it back where it belongs. Second show them what items are needed to wipe counter tops down, mop the floors, and even clean the tub. After showing them the things you will need show them how you would like for them to clean the places that are dirty. Every day you would show your child how to do it and have them help you. As they began to help you clean the house they are storing the information into their brains of what items are used what order the house should be cleaned and how you want them to clean.
When you are not home and the house needs to be cleaned, they know what room to start in, what items are being used, and how long it should take them to clean those rooms. By showing them you can add a little music to the routine to help you get done faster they will begin to add music to their cleaning routine as well. By children or adults watching how you clean the house, helps them get a better idea of what is needed from them when you are not home. Picking up something off the floor and putting it back where it belongs is the first step of showing your child how to keep things clean and neat. This is “training” them so when they get older you don’t have to tell them to clean they just automatically know what needs to be done and they do it. Sometimes it helps when they get a treat at the end of cleaning it helps them get motivated to do these types of chores.
Also, show the child that getting a treat for cleaning is not always going to happen; once in a while you get a treat for cleaning because cleaning is a chore that needs to be done. I learned how to clean the house by watching my mom and her teaching me what goes where and how to wipe the mirrors down and counter tops.
Scenario Chart
In this chart shows how classical conditioning is applied to showing children how to clean house.

In this chart I showed how classical conditioning can be applied to showing your children or adults on how to clean a house. This chart shows what steps should be applied to making the house look need and clean. Classical conditioning can be applied to showing how to keep a house clean, training a dog to sit, showing a baby how to clap their hands or drink out of a cup.
In conclusion, we use classical conditioning everyday whether we are at school, work, home, or just learning something new on the computer. Being able to apply classical conditioning is a good thing because it teaches us new things about ourselves. I know that in the beginning it is hard to understand the concepts of learning something new, but once you get the hang of it you can do things on your own and show others knew things (classical conditioning). I thank Ivan Pavlov for introducing these theories to us and breaking them down in a much easier way so we can better understand them.

References
Matthew H. Olson, B. R. Hergenhahn, (2009), An Introduction to Theories of Learning, Eighth Edition

References: Matthew H. Olson, B. R. Hergenhahn, (2009), An Introduction to Theories of Learning, Eighth Edition