Principles of Classical Conditioning

Classical conditioning typically has five key principles.

During acquisition, a neutral stimulus, such as a bell, is paired with an unconditioned stimulus, like meat powder, until the bell alone prompts a conditioned response of salivation.

Acquisition involves contiguity and contingency. Contiguity requires the conditioned stimulus – bell and unconditioned stimulus – meat powder to be paired closely during conditioning.

Likewise, contingency means the bell must consistently predict food; random ringing without food weakens the association.

The next principle — generalization occurs when stimuli similar to the conditioned stimulus, such as a whistle, may also trigger the conditioned response.

Discrimination occurs when the dog learns to respond only to the bell if other similar sounds do not signal food.

Extinction is the process where, after conditioning, the bell rings without following food several times, leading the dog to stop salivating in response to the bell.

Lastly, spontaneous recovery is the reappearance of an extinguished conditioned response, like the dog salivating after the bell, days after extinction.