What is the neutral stimulus in psychology

The behavioral approach consists in creating associations between stimuli and responses, regardless of the mental process that can lead to a certain behavior. Classic conditioning can be defined as the process by which a non -conditioned stimulus that produces known effects is associated with a neutral stimulus, while the neutral stimulus produces on its own effects similar to those of the undesidated stimulus.

In particular, in this psychology-online article we want to deepen better about What is the neutral stimulus in psychology. We will tell you how a neutral stimulus becomes a conditioned and examples applied in neutral stimulus psychology.

1. What is a neutral stimulus according to Pávlov
2. How a neutral stimulus becomes a conditioned
3. Examples of neutral stimulus in psychology

What is a neutral stimulus according to Pávlov

The psychological experiment of the Pávlov dog intends to demonstrate the existence of the conditioned reflection, that is, with a natural stimulus (neutral) a certain involuntary reaction can be caused (response).

In the case of the famous Russian physiologist experiment, the food (not conditioned stimulus) to salivate the dog (not conditioned effect). When associating the food with the sound of a bell (neutral sound) the same effect was achieved. If after a while the bell alone (conditioned stimulus) was tried, the dog's salivation even without food (conditioned effect) was obtained (conditioned).

Therefore, if you wonder what a neutral stimulus is, it is the one who When present in the environment does not cause any response in the body And it makes no sense to the organism, such as the sound of a bell.

How a neutral stimulus becomes a conditioned

When associated with an unconditioned stimulus, neutral stimulus can become a conditioned stimulus. Indeed, an initially neutral stimulus, presented many times in close temporal proximity with a stimulus that by its nature evokes a reflexive response, is able to evoke a similar reflexive response.

Conditional reflexes are acquired, that is, they represent the fruit of life experiences and, in a sense, they can be considered for all effects as architects. The condition for the birth and maintenance of conditioned reflexes is that A neutral stimulus serves as an early sign of the arrival of an unconditioned stimulus, until completely replacing it.

It can be said that the conditioned reflection is a form of learning in which A neutral stimulus, Like a green light or the sound of a bell, associated with an unconditioned stimulus, as an electric shock, You can replace it and evoke the same answer, in this case the retraction of the hand.

In summary, there is talk of conditioned reflex to describe an acquired response, that is, it responds to an initially neutral stimulus, which is first associated and finally replaces another unconditioned stimulus, which instinctively causes that reaction.

Examples of neutral stimulus in psychology

To better understand the functioning of a neutral stimulus in psychology, then we will see different examples of it:

Fear of injections

Classic conditioning makes an initially neutral stimulus associated with another that causes a specific reaction. If, for example, individuals in Bata Blanca are those who generally cause the pain of an injection, the single vision of a white coat after a short time, can trigger crying even without injection.

Anxiety attacks

According to behavioral theories, anxiety symptoms, such as panic, phobias and obsessions, represent abnormal behavior reactions, in the sense that they are answers learned in the early stages of the individual's development through processes of Pavlovian classical conditioning.

Here we can see another of the examples of neutral stimulus in psychology. The reaction that appears in combination with a neutral stimulus, for example, an anxiety attack in a supermarket, results in a condition in which the reaction tends to be repeated against stimuli similar to neutral and then implies the neutral stimulus by a conditioning mechanism that works.

Publicity communication

In the advertising field, it is known that conditioning can also be applied to emotions. For example, associating a neutral product to an event, something that for the consumer has strong emotional resonances.

The classical conditioning theory has had important effects in the field of advertising communication, in which a sport with the actors and a scene represents an unconditioned stimulus: the positive attitude towards the message or positive emotions are the unconditional response.

The idea is to combine the brand or the use of the brand, which is a neutral or conditioned stimulus, with the content of the spot, the unconditioned stimulus, with the aim of The unconditional response becomes conditioned response. In the end, the brand or its use suggest the same attitude or the same positive emotions shared by the announcement.

This article is merely informative, in psychology-online we have no power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.

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