Classical and Operant Conditioning Overview

Classical Conditioning

Learning through association between stimuli.

Ivan Pavlov

Discovered classical conditioning in 1906.

Unconditioned Stimulus (US)

Stimulus that naturally triggers a response.

Unconditioned Response (UR)

Natural reaction to an unconditioned stimulus.

Conditioned Stimulus (CS)

Originally neutral stimulus that triggers response post-conditioning.

Conditioned Response (CR)

Learned response to a conditioned stimulus.

Neutral Stimulus (NS)

Stimulus that initially does not trigger a response.

Acquisition

Process of learning a conditioned response.

Extinction

Diminishing of a conditioned response when CS is presented alone.

Spontaneous Recovery

Reappearance of a conditioned response after extinction.

Generalization

Similar stimuli elicit the same conditioned response.

Discrimination

Ability to differentiate between similar stimuli.

John B. Watson

Father of behaviorism; emphasized conditioning in behavior.

Preparedness

Evolutionary predisposition to learn certain associations.

Operant Conditioning

Learning through consequences of behavior.

B.F. Skinner

Pioneer of operant conditioning research.

Thorndike's Law of Effect

Behaviors followed by favorable outcomes increase likelihood.

Positive Reinforcement

Adding a favorable consequence to increase behavior.

Negative Reinforcement

Removing an unfavorable consequence to increase behavior.

Positive Punishment

Adding an unfavorable consequence to decrease behavior.

Negative Punishment

Removing a favorable consequence to decrease behavior.

Reinforcement Schedules

Patterns determining when a behavior is reinforced.

Fixed Ratio

Reward after a set number of behaviors.

Variable Ratio

Reward after an average number of behaviors.

Fixed Interval

Reward after a fixed amount of time.

Variable Interval

Reward after an average amount of time.

Dopamine

Neurotransmitter released during reward processing.

Nucleus Accumbens

Brain region activated during reward processing.

Genetic Variation

Differences in dopamine influence individual behavior.