Introduction to Psychology

Professor Hoi Shan Cheung

In this activity, Prof. Cheung demonstrate five key concepts related to learning: Classical conditioning paradigm, Acquisition, Stimulus generalisation, Stimulus discrimination and extinction. It involves having a student volunteer who doesn’t mind getting wet (but a poncho is given to that student). The student will sit in the front of the class and hear a list of words read by the instructor. When the word “CAN” is read, the instructor will spray some water on the student’s face. Over time, the student will cringe when they hear the word “CAN”, even before the water is sprayed, as a demonstration that classical conditioning has occurred. The student should also cringe when they hear words that sound like “CAN” (stimulus generalisation) but won’t do so for words that sound distinctively different from “CAN”. Finally, the instructor will spray water irregularly when “CAN” is read, and the student will at some point stop cringing when the word is heard, such that extinction has occurred.