Concept of classical conditioning and learing - Research Paper Example

Concept ical Conditioning and Learning Affiliation: Behavioral psychology is a fundamental field of study that seeks to account for the different behaviors exhibited by individuals and other variables in a given environment. Humans and animals are primarily the focus, with humans being the central point of concern. Classical conditioning plays a vital role in this pursuit, combining conditional and unconditional stimulus and response to constitute and explain behaviors. Discovered by Ivan Pavlov, classical conditioning presents associations between an environmental stimulus and a naturally occurring stimulus that constitute a learning process (Lavond & Steinmetz, 2003).

The objective is to highlight the difference between stimulus and response that are unconditioned and stimulus and response that are conditioned. All these constitute the classical conditioning concept.The learning process is diverse and dynamic, and it also encompasses individuals that exhibit different behaviors. The objectives of learning, however, are more or less similar, owing to the fact that success is critical in the teaching and learning context. Classical conditioning can be applied at various levels of the learning process.

To start with, it can be employed in understanding the different behaviors of both learners and teachers. In so doing, it lays a favorable ground for the interaction of these parties by enhancing the understanding of their behavioral diversity. Classical conditioning can also be applied in the process to enhance and/or change learner’s behaviors. By understanding conditioned and unconditioned stimulus and responses, it is easier to determine the specific behavior components that need to be improved or changed for the better (Nevid, 2012).

It also lays a critical ground for more research and study in relation to the learning process of behavioral psychology.ReferencesLavond, G. & Steinmetz, E. (2003). Handbook of Classical Conditioning. New York: Springer.Nevid, S. (2012). Psychology: Concepts and Applications. New York: Cengage Learning.