A Classical Conditioning Laboratory for the Psychology of Learning Course

Abstract

Laboratory exercises in the psychology of learning course can help students understand the principles of conditioning, learning, and memory. This article describes a classical conditioning lab project that inuolues rats and operant conditioning equipment. The conditioned stimulus (CS) is a light, the unconditioned stimulus (UCS) is food, and the conditioned responses (CRs) are rearing (standing on the hind legs) and magazine (standingmotionless in front of the food magazine with nose or head in the magazine). Stdents observe the rats and record these behaviors. The lab exercises described in this article can be accomplished in 4 to 5 weeks. Additional exercises could expand the lab to a full semester