Classical and operant conditioning

What is conditioning?

The process of training or modifying behaviour through association or consequence

What is classical conditioning?

Learning through association.

• A neutral stimulus is repeatedly paired with an unconditioned stimulus until it produces a conditioned response

What are the key components of classical conditioning?

Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS): A stimulus that triggers a natural biological response without any learning.

Neutral Stimulus (NS): A stimulus that triggers no initial response

Conditioned Stimulus (CS): A previously neutral stimulus that has become associated with a natural response through repeated pairing to UCS.

Conditioned Response (CR): The learned response produced by the conditioned stimulus alone after repeated pairing.

Describe the Little Albert study

Aim: Investigate the use of classical conditioning in emotion of fear in young children.

Procedure:

• 9 month old baby (Albert) was exposed to a white rat showing no initial response

• Initial exposure to Loud bang → showed natural distress & crying

• Every time rat was shown bang occurred → created crying without presence of bang after repetition

Conclusion: Repeated association of the rat with the loud bang caused Albert to cry at the sight of the rat alone

Apply classical conditioning theory to Little Albert

Neutral stimulus: The white rat triggered no initial fear response.

Unconditioned stimulus: The loud bang naturally caused fear and distress.

Unconditioned response: Albert's crying in response to the loud bang.

Conditioned stimulus: The white rat after repeated pairing with the loud bang.

Conditioned response: Albert crying at the sight of the rat alone without the loud bang.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of Little Albert?

+ High internal validity (confidence that IV caused DV) - controlled lab reduced confounding variables.

+ First study to demonstrate classical conditioning in humans.

-- Low ecological validity (does not reflect real life) → lab setting lowers generalisability to real world.

-- Highly unethical - no informed consent and clear undue stress and harm caused to Albert.

What is operant conditioning

Learning behaviour is shaped by its consequences such as rewards or punishments.

What are the 4 types of consequences in operant conditioning

Positive reinforcement: Adding something to encourage behaviour.

Negative reinforcement: Removing something to encourage behaviour.

Positive punishment: Adding something to discourage behaviour.

Negative punishment: Removing something to discourage behaviour.

What is the key rule for remembering the 4 types of consequences in operant conditioning

Positive = add, Negative = remove

Reinforcement = encourage, Punishment = discourage.

What are the 4 schedules of reinforcement (human application to operant conditioning)

Fixed ratio: Reinforcement after a set number of responses (e.g. factory worker paid after every 10 boxes moved).

Variable ratio: Reinforcement after an unpredictable number of responses (e.g. slot machine paying after a specific number of pulls).

Fixed interval: Reinforcement after a set amount of time (e.g. weekly pay cheque).

Variable interval: Reinforcement after varying time intervals (e.g. emails arriving at unexpected times).

How do schedules relate to operant conditioning?

showcases how adding a reward can encourage e a behaviour depending on reward/schedule

What is Thorndike's Law of Effect

Behaviours followed by satisfying consequences are more likely to be repeated (vice versa for unsatisfying consequences)

• E.g cat that accidentally presses a lever and gets food will press it again

What is vicarious reinforcement

When you observe someone else being rewarded or punished for a behaviour → influences whether you imitate it.

For example if you see a classmate get praised for answering a question correctly you are more likely to answer questions yourself.