Classical conditioning emphasizes the importance of learning from the environment, and supports nurture over nature. However, it is limiting to describe behavior solely in terms of either nature or nurture, and attempts to do this underestimate the complexity of human behavior.

Classical conditioning occurs when the unconditioned stimulus evokes a response from a neutral stimulus. When a response becomes generalized, then someone will react to things that remind them of the first stimuli that caused a response.

Conditioning occurs when two events that usually go together become associated with each other. Once a conditioned behavior is extinguished, it can no longer appear again. A neutral stimulus causes no response. Behaviors never come back once they have been extinguished.

The influence of classical conditioning can be seen in responses such as phobias, disgust, nausea, anger, and sexual arousal. A familiar example is conditioned nausea, in which the sight or smell of a particular food causes nausea because it caused stomach upset in the past.

The first part of the classical conditioning process requires a naturally occurring stimulus that will automatically elicit a response. Salivating in response to the smell of food is a good example of a naturally occurring stimulus. In this example, the smell of the food is the unconditioned stimulus.

the most important factor about the classical conditioning is not how often the UC and the UCS are paired but how well the CS predicts the appearance ofthe UCS. peole learn by oserving the behaviour of models and acquiring the belief that they can produce behaviours to influence events in their lives.

But according to new research, humans can be trained to crave food in a manner reminiscent of Pavlov’s dogs. Russian scientist Ivan Pavlov conditioned his dogs to associate the sound of a bell with food. Eventually, the animals would drool in response to a ring, even when no reward was available.

How do you apply classical conditioning to bad habits?

1. Find a replacement for your bad habit. There are a number of easy replacements:
2. Ingrain the new habit into your daily routine. So trade nicotine for jumping jacks, for example.
3. With practice, you will create a good habit.

Classical conditioning is the starting point for understanding automatic behavior and habits. Keeping this original research in mind, let’s explore what we now know about creating or changing habits.

Reinforcements and reinforcement schedules are crucial to using operant conditioning successfully. Positive and negative punishment decreases unwanted behavior, but the effects are not long lasting and can cause harm. Positive and negative reinforcers increase the desired behavior and are usually the best approach.

Old habits can be hard to break, and new habits hard to make, but with these six basic steps you can develop new, healthy behaviors that stick….6 Steps to Changing Habits

1. Identify Cues. Something has to trigger a habit, and a cue can be anything.
2. Disrupt.
3. Replace.
4. Keep It Simple.
5. Think Long-Term.
6. Persist.

There are little things you can do to help your mind get rid of the bad habits that “take over” your life.

1. Awareness. The first step to overcome and break-free is to recognize that we have these bad habits in the first place.
2. Surround Yourself With Positive People and Things.
3. Replacing.
4. Practice and Repetition.

With the idea of the 3 Rs in mind, here are 15 tips to help you break that old, stubborn habit.

1. Identify your triggers.
2. Focus on why you want to change.
3. Enlist a friend’s support.
4. Practice mindfulness.
5. Replace the habit with a different one.
6. Leave yourself reminders.
7. Prepare for slipups.
8. Let go of the all-or-nothing mindset.

‘Bad’ habits you can keep

• Fidgeting.
• Double checking.
• Drinking (in moderation).
• Smoking.
• Not exercising.
• Not sleeping enough.
• Looking at a screen right before bed.
• Slouching.

How to Change a Habit Permanently

1. Pinpoint Habits You Want to Change. It is not enough to have some bad behaviors.
2. Pay a Fine for Every Bad Habit.
3. Find Your Triggers.
4. Start by Making Tiny Changes.
5. Practice Mindfulness.
6. Change Your Environment.
7. Be Patient With Yourself.
8. Practice Mental Scripting.

Research from 2012 looking at habit formation suggests 10 weeks, or about 2.5 months, is a more realistic estimate for most people. The main evidence-backed time frame for habit breaking comes from 2009 research , which suggests it can take anywhere from 18 to 254 days.

One popular method to build habits is called the 21/90 rule. The rule is simple enough. Commit to a personal or professional goal for 21 straight days. After three weeks, the pursuit of that goal should have become a habit. Once you’ve established that habit, you continue to do it for another ninety days.

Neurons located in the habit formation region fire at the beginning of a new behavior, subside while the behavior occurs, and then fire again once the behavior is finished. Over time, patterns form, both in behavior and in the brain. This can make it extremely difficult to break a habit.

On average, it takes more than 2 months before a new behavior becomes automatic — 66 days to be exact. And how long it takes a new habit to form can vary widely depending on the behavior, the person, and the circumstances. In Lally’s study, it took anywhere from 18 days to 254 days for people to form a new habit.

The 21/90 rule states that it takes 21 days to make a habit and 90 days to make it a permanent lifestyle change. Is there a new lifestyle change you would like to make? Commit to your goal for 21 days and it will become a habit. Commit to your goal for 90 days and it will become a part of your lifestyle.

At the annoyingly young age of 33, James Clear is already putting together a pretty impressive resume.

Dr Maxwell Maltz