Learning is an action or experience of attaining knowledge. Each learning process comes from instruction and study. It aims for behavior modification that is permanent. Learning theories are defined as “attempts to systematize and organize what is known about human learning” (Lefrancois, 2011, p.25). Generally, learning can be categorized into three types: classical conditioning, operant conditioning and cognitive learning (refer to Figure 1 in Appendix 1).
The first type of learning is classical conditioning. This conditioning involves the association of two stimuli, which is unconditioned stimulus (US) and conditioned stimulus (CS). This kind of conditioning contains three phases throughout the learning process. The first phase is pre-learning phase, which the US triggers an unconditioned response (UR), the response is an unlearned behavior. Meanwhile, the neutral stimulus (NS) triggers no reaction. Secondly, the acquisition phase is carried out. Both US and NS are applied together to stimulate a UR. Finally, the post-learning phase is achieved when NS explicit CR, UR is now considered as conditioned stimulus (CR) at this stage. An experiment had been carried out by Ivan Pavlov regarding this discovery of classical conditioning. According to the research of Pavlov (1927), clicking sound of metronome (NS) was not stimulated the salivation of the dog, but the food powder (US) did explicit the dog’s salivation (UR) (as cited in Tarpy, 1997, p.44). However, when the dog was presented with both clicking sound and food powder at the same time repeatedly, the dog salivated (UR). At the end, the dog salivated (CR) when only the clicking sound of metronome was presented (CS) (Pavlov as cited in Tarpy, 1997, p. 44). This experiment showed...
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The strength of classical conditioning is that it can help to explain all aspects of human behavior. Any of behavior can broke down into stimulus-response association, so that according to the classical conditioning, conditioned stimulus will lead conditioned response to occur, then the scientist can observe and determine the behavior (McLeod, 2014). In the case of Pavlovian conditioning, he found that when the conditioned stimulus (bell) was paired with an unconditioned stimulus (food) was presented to the dog, it would start to salivate. After a number of repeated this procedures, Pavlov tried to ring his bell by its own...
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