
An example of generalization evoking negativity could stem from a bad experience dating a person with tattoos, leading to a generalization that “all people with tattoos are bad.” As presented by the results of the famed “Little Albert” experiment, generalization can also lead to certain phobias. For example, seeing your child smile will typically spark joy, as will the smiles of other children. Some examples of generalization can evoke positivity. After doing this repeatedly, the psychologist found that Little Albert became scared of the white rat without the presence of the loud noise. Over time, John Watson would make a loud noise behind Little Albert’s head while he was playing with the rat, which startled the baby. Initially, Little Albert enjoyed playing with the rat. The “Little Albert” experiment worked by introducing a 9 month old child to a white rat. The most famous example of generalization came from an experiment performed by behavioral psychologist John Watson in the year 1920.

Generalization is an aspect of classical conditioning that refers to the brain's ability to generalize similar things and respond the same way. Similarly, ads for fast food will feature delicious looking food in order to make you feel hungry. For example, ads for sneakers will often feature successful athletes in order to condition people to associate their brand with athletic success. Examples of this exist heavily in advertising. Though the theory was originally tested on canines, all humans are exposed to forms of classical conditioning all throughout our lives. Just as he’d anticipated, the dogs began salivating at the sound of the bell, regardless of whether or not food was presented to them. To test this theory, Pavlov began ringing a bell prior to feeding the dogs. This sparked him theorizing that the reason the dogs were salivating was because they now associated their caretakers with being fed. During this time, he noticed the dogs began salivating when seeing the people who would feed them. Pavlov originally began with an experiment related to the canine digestive systems. In 1897, Russian psychologist Ivan Pavlov published his theory and findings on classical conditioning that continues to remain relevant in the practices of behavioral therapy to this day.

The most famous example of classical conditioning is the theory of Pavlov’s dog. To put it simply, classical conditioning is a type of learning that happens unconsciously. What Is Classical Conditioning?Ĭlassical conditioning that pairs an automatic response to a specific stimulus. In this article, we will explore the concepts of discrimination, generalization, and how psychology and individuals can be affected by both.
