Classical and Operant conditioning

Classical conditioning

type of learning in which a neutral stimulus (NS) is paired with a stimulus that pulls out a reflex response, aka unconditioned stimulus (UCS). When this happens, the NS becomes a condition stimulus. Before conditioning: neutral stimulus, no response, during conditioning, unconditioned stimulus, unconditioned response, after conditioning, conditioned stimulus and conditioned response

Unconditioned stimulus

A stimulus that prompts a natural, unlearned response

Neutral stimulus

A stimulus in the environment that does not lead to any natural response

Conditioned stimulus

A stimulus that used to be neutral, became associated with a response because it was connected to an unconditioned stimulus

Conditioned response

A response learned by pairing a neutral and an unconditioned stimulus

Study supporting classical conditioning 

Pavlov’s dog, shows how dogs can associate a sound (bell) with food. Pavlov rang a bell just before giving food multiple times, then after a while, the dogs started to associate food with the bell. They start to salivate even when there is no food. Conditioned stimulus: bell, salivate: conditioned response

Taste aversion therapy

Application of classical conditioning, Garcia gave rats a sweet-tasting saccharin solution during radiation exposure, when the rats were tested later, they avoided the saccharin solution unlike the control group who was not exposed to the radiation

Linking to responsibility

Conversion therapy, tries to change someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity

Operant conditioning

Argues behaviors are modified in response to a reward or punishment

Positive reinforcement 

presentation of a reward to encourage the continuation of behavior 

negative reinforcement

the removal of a punishment to encourage continuation of behavior

positive punishment

presentation of punishment to discourage the continuation of a behavior

negative punishment

taking away a reward or positive stimulus to discourage the continuation of behavior

Applications of operant conditioning 

Fixed ratio schedule: rewarded after a fixed number of times. Variable ratio schedule: rewarded after an unpredictable number of times 

Study supporting operant conditioning

Skinner placed pigeons in individual cages and gave each of them a pellet of food every 30 seconds without having to do anything to receive it. If a pigeon were walking around in circles when the pellet was delivered, it would decide to continue walking around and around. As it received more pellets at 30-second intervals, the pigeon would grow increasingly convinced that its walking pattern was being rewarded with food. Thus, its behavior would be ‘accidentally reinforced,’ even though the pellets’ delivery was not dependent on its actions.