The easiest way to explain classical conditioning is to describe how it was discovered. Russian physiologist, Ivan Pavlov, (left) in the early 1900's was studying the nervous system of dogs when he noticed that dogs salivate when you put food in their mouths.

Ok, you say, big deal - dogs salivate! What's so great about that?!?

Pavlov noticed that if you paired the stimulus (Food in the mouth) with the sound of a bell, gradually the dogs would learn the association.

The unconditioned stimulus (Food in the mouth) plus the sound of a bell (a conditioned stimulus) - elicited - the unconditioned response (salivation).

Over time, Pavlov removed the stimulus (Food in the mouth) and presented dogs with only the sound of a bell (the conditioned stimulus).

Guess what happened!

The dogs salivated when they heard the bell - even when no food was present in their mouths!

The sound of a bell (but no food in the mouth) - elicited - a conditioned response (salivation).

That is to say, the sound of a bell, which had previously elicited no response from the dogs, now caused them to salivate. The animals had learned the association - they had been "classically" conditioned

Let's try to fully appreciate this concept by using an everyday example: I love my mother, and she loves me. This loving bond (the unconditioned stimulus), makes me feel good (the unconditioned response). My mother wears obsession perfume (the conditioned stimulus). Now because I associate the smell of obsession perfume (the conditioned stimulus) with my mothers love (the unconditioned stimulus), when ever I smell obsession perfume - I feel good. Before I associated obsession perfume with my mother, it had no effect on me. It was a neutral stimulus. However, after the association was made with the loving bond that I have with my mother, it became a conditioned stimulus - it elicited a response.

This is one technique that parents and teachers can use when trying to elicit a particular response (behaviour) from ADHD children. Here are examples of how it can be applied: Pair the blowing of a whistle when you are telling the children to be quiet and over time all you'll need to do to get the children to be quiet is blow on the whistle! Remember that the strongest application of classical conditioning involves emotion. Human emotion conditions very rapidly and easily. It takes only one scary experience in the dark for someone to develop a fear of the dark.

Classical conditioning differs from Operant conditioning in that classical conditioning does not require an action from the learner. They are simply learning the association.

For a more thorough read about classical conditioning, click here, or here, Or for an interesting slide show - click here.