A conditioned response is a learned behavior obtained through a stimulus different from the one that originated it. It can be developed through pairing a neutral stimulus with a conditioned one. Classical conditioning was developed by Ivan Pavlov and involves an unconditioned stimulus triggering an unconditioned response, which becomes a conditioned response when paired with a conditioned stimulus. This theory has been useful in studying the sensory capabilities of animals and can also figure in people’s daily lives.
A conditioned response is a learned type of behavior and is often considered one of the simplest. It is a response that is obtained through a stimulus different from the one that originated it. This response is also often called a conditioned reflex.
The conditioned response can be developed through a procedure called acquisition which involves pairing a neutral stimulus with the conditioned one. A common example is when the loud ringing of a bell scares animals. Pairing another more neutral stimulus with the bell, such as a particular dog toy, typically causes the pet to associate the loud sound with the toy. The pet will eventually be frightened by the appearance of the toy itself without the bell having to ring.
Classical conditioning, of which a conditioned response is an important part, was developed by Ivan Pavlov in the early 1900s. Pavlov’s experiment involved dogs in which he noticed that dogs developed a habit of salivating in response to the lab technician who fed them their meat powder rather than the food itself. To test his theory, Pavlov used a metronome to signal it was time to eat, and after a few times, the dogs started salivating upon hearing the click of the device.
It is helpful to know the other elements of classical conditioning to fully understand a conditioned response. An unconditioned stimulus is one that naturally triggers a response in humans or animals, such as the smell of food. The unconditioned response of hunger is natural. Conversely, a conditioned stimulus was once neutral, but when it is paired with the unconditioned stimulus, it becomes paired and will elicit the same response, which is the conditioned response.
Conditioned response theory has been useful in studying the sensory capabilities of various animals. For example, Karl von Frisch was able to determine that bees can see different colors by conditioning them to look for food on blue cardboard. Once they showed the correct answer, he did the same with the cardboard in other colors and discovered that bees can distinguish between blue and green, blue and purple, and yellow and green.
While this type of response is often associated with animals, it can also figure in people’s daily lives. Children first learn to associate the word “No!” with an angry face, and eventually learn to stop their behavior. Most conditioned responses, especially those learned at an early age, become permanently ingrained.
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