Introduction to Psychology
Learning
Learning
Change in thoughts or behaviors due to experience, study, or practice.
○ Nervous system plasticity
Forming or changing connections between neurons
Habituation
Habituation is when someone becomes used to a repeated stimulus, so they gradually respond less to it
over time.
○ “Getting used to” a stimulus
○ EXAMPLE: you don't notice the sound of your fridge unless it turns off
Classical Conditioning
Unconditioned Unconditioned Conditioned Stimulus Conditioned Response
Stimulus (US) Response (UR) (CS) (CR)
Something that The natural reaction Something that starts The learned reaction
naturally causes a to the UCS. off neutral but, after to the CS.
reaction. ○ Saliva: natural being paired with the ○ Saliva: a
○ Dog food reaction UCS, begins to cause a natural reaction
○ Produces a reaction on its own. that occurs due
reflective ○ Metronome to the CS
response (originally
neutral)
Behaviourism & Classical Conditioning
Little Albert Experiment
The Little Albert experiment, by John B. Watson, showed that fear could be learned. Watson paired a
white rat with a loud noise to scare a baby named Albert. Soon, Albert became afraid of the rat alone and
even similar objects. This demonstrated that emotional responses can be conditioned.
Chemotherapy:
, Treatment Room Chemotherapy Side effects (vomiting, Patients feeling sick
nausea) from treatment room
1) Unconditioning Stimulus (UCS): Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the treatment that naturally causes side effects such as nausea and vomiting
without any prior conditioning.
2) Unconditioned Response (UCR): Side effects (vomiting, nausea)
This is the natural reaction (nausea and vomiting) that occurs as a result of the chemotherapy. It’s
an unlearned response to the treatment.
3) Conditioning Stimulus (CS): Treatment Room
Initially, the treatment room does not cause nausea or sickness on its own. However, after
repeated association with chemotherapy sessions, it becomes associated with the feelings of
nausea and vomiting.
4) Conditioned Response (CR): Patients feeling sick from treatment room
After conditioning, the treatment room alone triggers a feeling of sickness (nausea) in the patient.
This is a learned response due to the repeated pairing of the treatment room (CS) with the
chemotherapy (UCS).
In classical conditioning, the treatment room (which was initially neutral) becomes a conditioned stimulus
that evokes a conditioned response (sickness) because of its association with chemotherapy and the
resulting side effects
Robert Downey Jr.
Products & services Celebrities (RD Jr) Your positive feelings Your positive feelings
about celebrities about the product
1) Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS): Celebrities (RD Jr)
Celebrities often evoke positive emotions naturally. In this case, Robert Downey Jr. is the
unconditioned stimulus, as he naturally elicits a favorable response from many people.
2) Unconditioned Response (UCR): Your positive feelings about celebrities
The emotional response that people have toward RD Jr is the unconditioned response, as it
happens naturally without any conditioning.
3) Conditioned Stimulus (CS): Products and services
The OnePlus phone is the conditioned stimulus. It’s a neutral object that, through association
with RD Jr, is intended to evoke a similar positive response.
4) Conditioned Response (CR): Your positive feelings about the product
Learning
Learning
Change in thoughts or behaviors due to experience, study, or practice.
○ Nervous system plasticity
Forming or changing connections between neurons
Habituation
Habituation is when someone becomes used to a repeated stimulus, so they gradually respond less to it
over time.
○ “Getting used to” a stimulus
○ EXAMPLE: you don't notice the sound of your fridge unless it turns off
Classical Conditioning
Unconditioned Unconditioned Conditioned Stimulus Conditioned Response
Stimulus (US) Response (UR) (CS) (CR)
Something that The natural reaction Something that starts The learned reaction
naturally causes a to the UCS. off neutral but, after to the CS.
reaction. ○ Saliva: natural being paired with the ○ Saliva: a
○ Dog food reaction UCS, begins to cause a natural reaction
○ Produces a reaction on its own. that occurs due
reflective ○ Metronome to the CS
response (originally
neutral)
Behaviourism & Classical Conditioning
Little Albert Experiment
The Little Albert experiment, by John B. Watson, showed that fear could be learned. Watson paired a
white rat with a loud noise to scare a baby named Albert. Soon, Albert became afraid of the rat alone and
even similar objects. This demonstrated that emotional responses can be conditioned.
Chemotherapy:
, Treatment Room Chemotherapy Side effects (vomiting, Patients feeling sick
nausea) from treatment room
1) Unconditioning Stimulus (UCS): Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the treatment that naturally causes side effects such as nausea and vomiting
without any prior conditioning.
2) Unconditioned Response (UCR): Side effects (vomiting, nausea)
This is the natural reaction (nausea and vomiting) that occurs as a result of the chemotherapy. It’s
an unlearned response to the treatment.
3) Conditioning Stimulus (CS): Treatment Room
Initially, the treatment room does not cause nausea or sickness on its own. However, after
repeated association with chemotherapy sessions, it becomes associated with the feelings of
nausea and vomiting.
4) Conditioned Response (CR): Patients feeling sick from treatment room
After conditioning, the treatment room alone triggers a feeling of sickness (nausea) in the patient.
This is a learned response due to the repeated pairing of the treatment room (CS) with the
chemotherapy (UCS).
In classical conditioning, the treatment room (which was initially neutral) becomes a conditioned stimulus
that evokes a conditioned response (sickness) because of its association with chemotherapy and the
resulting side effects
Robert Downey Jr.
Products & services Celebrities (RD Jr) Your positive feelings Your positive feelings
about celebrities about the product
1) Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS): Celebrities (RD Jr)
Celebrities often evoke positive emotions naturally. In this case, Robert Downey Jr. is the
unconditioned stimulus, as he naturally elicits a favorable response from many people.
2) Unconditioned Response (UCR): Your positive feelings about celebrities
The emotional response that people have toward RD Jr is the unconditioned response, as it
happens naturally without any conditioning.
3) Conditioned Stimulus (CS): Products and services
The OnePlus phone is the conditioned stimulus. It’s a neutral object that, through association
with RD Jr, is intended to evoke a similar positive response.
4) Conditioned Response (CR): Your positive feelings about the product
