Classical conditioning in real life

1. Classical conditioning in real life Have stimuli and responses ;now how do we use them?

2. Objectives: the student will • Describe John Watson • Create images onhow we learn to like and learn to fear • Analyze the Little Albert experiment and happy Peter Experiment • Explain how we account for taste and react to medical treatments

3. Applications of Classical Conditioning • Gives explanations for many behaviors (cravings/aversions) • Eliminate unwanted behaviors (NOT PAVLOV’S INTENT) • John Watson-American Behaviorist, Uses C.C. technique for people • Watson + little Albert # Association • Applies it to real life!

4. chapter 9 Learning to like Where do sentimental feelings come from? Objects have been associated in the past with positive feelings.

5. chapter 9 Learning to fear Research suggests we can learn fear through association. Watson and Raynor conditioned “Little Albert” to be afraid of white rats by pairing the neutral stimulus (rats) with an unconditioned stimulus (loud noise). Within days, Albert was afraid of rats, and his fear generalized to other furry objects.

6. The Notorious Case of Little Albert • Unethical today • Conditioned Albert to fear white Rat • Rat (NS) paired with mallet hitting steel bar (US) • Took only 7 times for Albert to react with fear to Rat (CS) only • Then Albert became fearful of furry animals and Watson in a Santa beard

7. chapter 9 Unlearning fear Counter conditioning The process of pairing a conditioned stimulus with a stimulus that elicits an incompatible response. Another child’s fear of rabbits was removed by pairing rabbits with a stimulus that elicited happiness.

8. Unlearning • WWII Example- Ringing bell means battle • 15 years later bell still = ‘call to battle stations • So need to EARASE • Counter conditioning- Respond in a calm manner to conditioned stimulus. • Helps with phobias • Peter scared of rabbits so C.C. him • Every time see rabbit (CS- you learned scared) PAIR WITH cookies and milk thus changes response

9. chapter 9 Accounting for taste Slugs learned an aversion to the smell of carrots, which they normally like, after the smell of carrots was paired with a bitter-tasting chemical. Psychologist Martin Seligman developed an aversion to béarnaise sauce after he came down with the flu following a meal of filet mignon with béarnaise sauce.

10. Conditioned Food Aversions • Have you ever gotten sick from foods. Me- Mayonnaise • Could eat and be ill and be UNRELATED • React to smell, sight, Not environment • Useful survival value • Garcia- Koeling found rats did not drink from water bottles in rooms they had been shocked in. CS-UCS. • Associate water bottle with pain • Call it Garcia effect, he found out animals get sick to avoid danger

11. More food aversions • Taste-Aversion Learning-Avoid foods that make us sick= Learned not genetic • Coyote Experiment • Wrap up lamb burgers with toxics • Coyotes get sick, stop eating and thus killing lambs.

12. chapter 9 Reacting to medical treatments Some cancer patients react to waiting rooms with nausea, because the waiting room has been associated with chemotherapy, which chemically causes nausea. Placebos—inert substances presented as medications—sometimes give patients real relief.

13. Medical treatments cont. • Placebos effect best= big pill, brand name, needle or injection • Expectations part of it, can start immune system (cognitive psychologists)

14. Summary • Watson • Little Albert • Food aversions • Placebos