Classical Conditioning

Introduction

Learning is the process through which we acquire or modify abilities, skills, knowledge, behaviors and values as a result of the study, the experience, the instruction, reasoning and observation. This process can be analyzed from different perspectives, so there are different theories of learning. Learning is one of the most important mental functions in humans, animals and artificial systems. Human learning is related to education and personal development. It must be properly oriented and is favored when the individual is motivated. Learning as development of new temporal relationships between environmental being and has been the subject of several empirical studies in both animals and humans. Measuring progress in a while we obtain the learning curves that show the importance of repetition of some physiological predispositions, of "trial and error," periods of rest after which accelerate progress, and so on. They also show the last relationship of learning with conditioned reflexes (Woodruff & Steinmetz, pp. 18-34). Conditioning by contiguity assumes that the temporal and spatial proximity of stimuli and responses is essential for learning reactions. The best-known approach to the explanation of learning is classical conditioning by Ivan P. Pavlov.

Background

The first arises at the end of the last century from the investigations of the Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov, who accidentally discovered a fundamental learning process then called it classical conditioning. The large amount of research conducted in the light of these two paradigms mentioned went on to form what is known as Theory of Learning, which has nourished hypothesis to cognitive behavioral therapy. Similarly, a new set of assumptions, whose emphasis is on the role that imitation, plays in learning. Research carried out in this line is embodied in the "social learning theory", from which asserts that learning occurs not only through direct, personal experience but, primarily in humans, the observation other people and the information received through verbal or visual symbols are key variables (Nevi, pp. 171-186). Ivan Pavlov had a closer interest in the classical conditioning, and had assumed the functions of the digestive system. His test subject was a dog that showed the innate, i.e. unconditioned reflex to the administration of food to react with salivary secretion.

Classical conditioning is the simplest mechanism by which organisms can learn about relationships between stimuli and change their conduct in conformity therewith. It allows humans and other animals to take advantage of the ordered sequence of events in their environment and learn what stimuli tend to go with what events. On the basis of this learning, give new responses to stimuli (Ayers, pp. 166-169). For example, classical conditioning is the process by which we learn to predict when and what we eat, when we overcome the danger and when we are sure. Systematic studies of classical conditioning began with the work of Pavlov. Classical conditioning was also discovered independently by Twitmyer. In his doctoral thesis, Twitmyer, tried to condition the patellar reflex of some college students ringing a bell 0.5 seconds before hitting the patellar tendon beneath the kneecap. After several ...