Conditioning & Neuroplasticity: How Experiences Shape Developing Brains
Our brains are shaped by what we repeatedly do. This article explores how brain conditioning and neuroplasticity work together to influence how we learn, behave, and respond to the world around us.
"Neurons that fire together, wire together."
This well-known phrase from neuroscience captures a key insight into how the brain learns and changes. The idea originates from the work of Canadian psychologist Donald Hebb, who proposed in 1949 that when one neuron repeatedly activates another, the connection between them becomes stronger. In other words, if two neurons are active at the same time, they are more likely to become linked. This principle, often summarised in this memorable phrase, underpins what we now understand about how habits, behaviours, and emotional responses are formed. In the first part of this series on brain development and environmental influences, we explore how learning occurs, how repeated experiences shape the brain’s wiring, and why understanding conditioning helps us make sense of everyday behaviour.
The Basics of Brain Conditioning and Development.
From the moment we are born, our brains are forming and refining connections. Every movement, thought, or feeling strengthens certain pathways, much like carving grooves into clay. This process is known as neuroplasticity, which refers to the brain’s ability to change and adapt based on experience.
As these neural connections strengthen with repetition, the brain begins to shift from effortful learning to automatic execution — a process explored in more detail below.
From Learning to Automation: Building Mental Macros
When we are learning something new, our brains must work hard to put each piece together. For example, a learner driver is constantly thinking about mirrors, pedals, gear shifts, and the road. After enough practice, these separate actions are grouped together into a single, smooth sequence.
This shift toward automation saves effort. It also means we may no longer be fully aware of what we are doing or why we are doing it. This applies not just to physical skills but also to emotional and behavioural habits. A person might automatically avoid social events or react with irritability, even if they do not understand the root cause.
Classical Conditioning in Everyday Life
Classical conditioning is a type of learning that happens through association. Ivan Pavlov demonstrated this by showing how dogs could be trained to salivate when they heard a bell, as long as that sound had been repeatedly paired with the presentation of food.
This type of learning continues to shape our reactions to sounds, sights, and cues in everyday life. For example:
- Adults often check their phones when a notification sound plays, as this sound has become associated with the expectation of new information or social reward.
- The smell of a particular cologne or perfume might trigger strong emotions, based on who used to wear it.
- Someone who has lived in a tense household may feel uneasy at the sound of raised voices, even in safe situations.
- A child who has had stressful experiences at school may begin to feel anxious just seeing a school uniform. This instagram post by openmindwithDrMonica demonstartes this perfectly: https://www.instagram.com/p/DB2Y3IhR7A_/
- Children lining up at school when music plays can reflect classical conditioning. The music acts as a signal (like Pavlov’s bell) that it’s time to line up, triggering automatic behavioural readiness.
These emotional and behavioural reactions are not random. They are learned through repeated exposure to certain environments and emotional cues.
Operant Conditioning and Behaviour Patterns
Where classical conditioning involves learning by association, operant conditioning involves learning through consequences. B.F. Skinner described how behaviours become more or less likely to occur depending on what follows them.
There are three main types:
- Positive reinforcement involves adding something pleasant to increase a behaviour. For example, a child may clean their room more often if they receive praise.
- Negative reinforcement involves removing something unpleasant to increase a behaviour. For example, turning off a loud alarm by getting out of bed encourages waking up on time.
- Punishment involves either adding an unpleasant consequence or taking away a reward, which discourages a behaviour from happening again.
Everyday examples are everywhere:
- Children or adults who regularly use screens during emotional discomfort may be experiencing negative reinforcement — some screen use numbs unpleasant feelings, making it more likely they’ll repeat the behaviour in future.
- A teenager may learn to avoid asking questions in class if they were once embarrassed in front of their peers.
- A child may do extra chores to gain extra screen time.
- Adults may stick with habits that offer short-term relief, even when the long-term outcome is unhelpful.
These patterns shape how we respond, avoid, or pursue certain situations over time.
Why This Matters.
Recognising how conditioning works at a brain level gives us a powerful tool for understanding human behaviour, and greater means for supporting children with difficulties. Rather than viewing behaviours as fixed traits, we can begin to see them as shaped, with the potential to be reshaped, by our experiences.
Understanding brain conditioning and development helps us recognise that behaviour is not always about choice or willpower. Much of what we do is shaped by past experiences and reinforced patterns.
When we understand how these patterns form, we can begin to change them. This understanding allows us to:
- Identify emotional triggers and reactions.
- Recognise habits that feel difficult to change.
- Use repetition and consistency to build new, more helpful behaviours.
- Recognise we may be responding to a stimuli that isn’t immediately obvious, such as inner discomfort, excess sound processing, instability in processing.
Even more importantly, understanding these processes helps us see why it’s essential to set boundaries around our children’s experiences, ensuring they encounter certain influences only when they are developmentally ready.
Continue reading the next part of this series: Screens and the Developing Brain: How Digital Use Impacts Brain Structure and Behaviour, where we examine how screens and digital environments are shaping brain development, including their impact on physiological growth, attention, behaviour, and emotional regulation.