Conditional reflex - what is it and can it be worked out?

This particular process is one of the most important in the mental activity of both animals and humans. Specialists distinguish unconditioned and conditioned reflex. How do they differ among themselves and what are the features of conditioned reflexes?

What is a conditioned reflex?

Specialists say that the conditioned reflex in psychology is an acquired reflex, which is peculiar to an individual individual. It can appear throughout life and not be genetically fixed, that is, not inherited. Such reflexes can be developed under any specific conditions and even disappear when they are absent. In this case, they are able to be formed on the basis of unconditioned ones with the participation of the higher parts of the brain. Reflex responses may depend on the old experience, on certain conditions in which a conditioned reflex arises.

Signs of conditioned reflexes

To find out which reflex a person has is conditional is not so difficult. For this you need to know about its main signs:

  1. Adaptive character of reflexes. Thanks to them, the behavior becomes especially plastic.
  2. All conditioned reflexes are created through the participation of the higher parts of the brain. For this reason, adaptive reactions can not be attributed to conditioned reflex reactions.
  3. Such conditioned reflexes can either arise or disappear, and they differ from the unconditioned ones.
  4. This reflex has a signal character, which is always warned and preceded by all future ones.

Types of conditioned reflexes

There is a special classification of conditioned reflexes. They are divided into receptor, effector signs and biological significance. So according to the receptor, conditioned reflexes in humans are divided into:

By effectoral sign they are divided into:

By biological significance they are called:

Types of inhibition of conditioned reflexes

Psychologists say that the inhibition of conditioned reflexes is of several kinds - congenital and acquired. The first is divided into these subspecies:

  1. External inhibition - can occur due to the stopping of the existing conditioned reflex, when an extraneous stimulus acts.
  2. Beyond - can appear under the action of a strong conditioned signal. It is known that there is a certain correspondence between the strength of the conditioned stimulus and the value of the response, the "law of force". So the stronger the signal, the stronger the reaction itself.

Conditional braking is usually divided into the following subspecies:

  1. Extinguishing - can occur when the conditioned signal is reused and not reinforced. Initially, the conditioned reflex becomes weaker, and after a while it disappears altogether. After a certain time, he is able to recover.
  2. Delayed inhibition can occur during the lag of reinforcement for one or three minutes in relation to the beginning of the action of the conditioned signal. Over time, the emergence of a conditioned reaction can move toward the moment of reinforcement.
  3. Differentiation - can be produced during the additional inclusion of the stimulus, which is close to the conditioned one.

Than the conditioned reflex differs from the unconditioned?

There are many differences between the two types of reflexes:

  1. Conditional reflexes, unlike unconditioned ones, are called acquired reactions in individual life. Unconditional - congenital, which can be inherited.
  2. Unconditional - species, that is, they are peculiar to representatives of a particular species. The conditional ones are individual.
  3. Unconditional are permanent and able to remain for life, and conditional - non-permanent and can appear, gain a foothold and disappear.
  4. Conditional ones can be developed on the basis of unconditional ones.
  5. If the unconditioned are produced at the expense of the lower parts of the central nervous system, the conditioned ones are realized due to the function of the higher parts of the central nervous system .
  6. Unconditioned reflexes arise as a response to any stimuli and are structurally fixed, and conditioned reflexes can appear on any stimuli.
  7. Unconditional are a reaction to specific stimuli, and conditional - to the properties of the stimulus.

What conditions are necessary for the development of a conditioned reflex?

It is proved that the elaboration of a conditioned reflex occurs under certain conditions:

  1. Excellent condition of the body.
  2. Lack of any kinds of active activity.
  3. A significant degree of excitability of an unconditioned or well-fixed conditioned stimulus.
  4. Intensity of the conditioned stimulus.

How to develop a conditioned reflex in humans?

Anyone who is interested in how to develop a conditioned reflex should understand that such a reflex is developed by itself in the presence of necessary conditions and is subconscious. For example:

  1. In the room at the entrance for many years the switch was located on the right. After repair it was moved to the left of the entrance, but the person will search for the switch on the right for a long time - this is the entire action of the conditioned conditioned reflex.
  2. Driving is due to conditioned reflexes. Everything, braking, gear shifting, the use of mirrors - the elaborated reflexes acquired under certain conditions. A well-worked and fixed reflex in this case is called a driving experience.
  3. The shorter the time between the sound of the shot from the starting pistol and the start of the movement, the quicker and more successful the start, which, for example, plays an important role in the sprint, so the start of the shot is trained just by developing a conditioned reflex.

Why can the conditioned reflex fade away with time?

It is known that conditioned reflexes fade when the conditioned stimulus is no longer able to interact with the unconditioned stimulus. In other words, if the conditioned stimulus can be independent, without an unconditioned one, then the conditioned reaction disappears. A conditioned reflex is acquired, but not congenital, and therefore can not only consolidate itself, but also extinguish.