Inclassical conditioning, a conditioned response is a learned response to a previously neutral stimulus.
After pairing the presentation of these two together enough times, an association is formed.
The previously neutral stimulus will then evoke the response all on its own.
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At this point, the response becomes known as the conditioned response.
Knowing how this process works can be important if you want to use classical conditioning to teach a behavior.
To look closer at this phenomenon, Pavlov introduced the sound of a tone whenever the animals were fed.
The conditioned response in Pavlov’s experiment was salivating in response to the conditioned stimulus.
In this process, you are slowly exposed to what you fear while practicing relaxation strategies.
Eventually, the conditioned response will gradually diminish and even disappear, a process known asextinction.
Now imagine that the individual has many more experiences with barking dogs, all of which are positive.
Recap
If the conditioned stimulus is removed, the conditioned response will gradually fade and become extinct.
Over time, the behavior will fade and become less of a problem.
Takeaway
The conditioned response is an important part of the classical conditioning process.
Conditioned responses can be a good thing, but they can also be problematic.
Associations can lead to desirable behaviors, but they can lead to undesirable or maladaptive behaviors such as phobias.
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