Conditioned Emotional Responses

October 2nd, 2008

First, what IS conditioning?

Humans have this amazing ability to learn. What this means is that based on experiential circumstances, we discover with time and repetition, certain outcomes are brought about.  Operant conditioning is what we call this method of learning.  It was originally hypothesized and tested (a experiment later described as ‘Pavlov’s Dogs’) by a psychologist Ivan Pavlov, and further perfected by a psychologist BF Skinner. So, this whole conditioned response idea really isn’t a new idea, and in fact, psychologists have been working on understanding it for more than a century.

Conditioned emotional response in a nutshell: when we experience something, and the consequence is consistent, we begin to recognize and predict consequences to the experience, and we become conditioned to respond in a particular way.  When you add negative emotion into the mix, that response becomes that much stronger and more ingrained. An excellent example of the strength of this emotional response is demonstrated at its extreme with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

However, a person doesn’t have to have an extreme of this emotional response in order to have a conditioned emotional response. In fact, the strength of the emotion can fall nearly anywhere on the emotional continuum, but would most likely fall nearest the negative end (as compared with its likelihood of falling to the positive end), though it probably will vary on it’s magnitude.  Relative to Positive emotion, Negative emotion tends to have a stronger conditioning quality, which probably stems from the evolutionary function of fear which allowed ancient humans to not be eaten by lions at the watering hole.

So, a conditioned emotional response seems to be a very human characteristic.  It’s a natural tendency that humans use in order to help predict the outcome of situations.

But… is it emotionally healthy?

Let’s look at the word ‘assume.’  Basically, when you are conditioned to respond emotionally to a particular situation, you’re making an assumption. Assumptions are good in the matter that they free up time.  But freeing up time by predicting what the situation will be does NOT ensure accuracy of the assumption.

At this time, it’s important to really think about whether or not you want to perpetuate the conditioned emotional response.

That’s the difficult part.  I can’t say how to make that decision because obviously there are a plethora of situations that this can be applied for.  You just have to really dedicate some time to think about this.  Make a solid decision, because without making a strong choice to change your conditioned emotional reactions,  you’ll never be able to do so.

Once you’ve made up your mind to un-condition:  Much like exposure therapy, where a person who is afraid of spiders has to gradually expose themselves to spiders, unconditioning takes time and repeated exposure to the circumstances with a new consequence.  Remember, emotions are a stronger glue to a response than you’d experience if you were conditioned to something without emotion.  You have to be gentle with yourself.  Be patient.  The new conditioning has to be something you’re willing to work on over time.  It’s not going to change over night, and it’s certainly not going to change with one novel consequence.  But, if you’re willing to work on changing that response, you can do it with practice.

Honestly, I’m not really all that well versed in un-conditioning my responses.  I mean, I have quit smoking before, and that was a conditioned change… but it wasn’t a conditioned emotional response. I have conditioned myself in ways that have withheld an emotional response before…

However, I know this is possible, and I am willing to try it.  You’ll hear more from me when I conquer my next conditioned emotional response, and then I’ll serve as an example and proof that it really can be done.  Words of advice to myself: There’s a fine line between validating your emotions and allowing them to rule your life.

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