How have studies of classical and operant conditioning contributed to the field of psychology?
In this essay I will outline the main principles of both operant and classical conditioning methods and discuss what both theories have contributed to the field of psychology and what they have taught us about the way in which some human behaviour occurs.
Classical conditioning, also known as Pavlovian conditioning (Davis, S. F., & Buskist, W. (2008). 21st century psychology: a reference handbook Page 312 (Vol. 1). Sage.) states our behaviours are instigated by associating certain stimuli with other behaviours which involves four main learning principles known as acquisition, extinction, spontaneous recovery and stimulus generalisation and discrimination. (Martin, G.N., Carlson, N.R., and Buskist, W. (2013). Psychology. (5th ed.). Page 228 Harlow, Essex: Pearson Education. Chapter 7). Acquisition refers to the learning phase in classical conditioning when the conditioned stimulus increases in strength, extinction refers to when the conditioned stimulus is no longer linked with the unconditioned stimulus. Spontaneous recover refers to the resurfacing of the conditioned response after a period in which the response has been less apparent. Finally, stimulus generalisation and discrimination refers to when a conditioned response applies to similar stimuli, for example, being conditioned to fear a stuffed white rabbit the same behaviour will apply to an object of the same variety
Classical conditioning is the relationship of an automatic response with a neutral occurrence. There are many main components to classical conditioning. Acquisition which is the learning part of classical conditioning where the conditioned stimulus is paired with the unconditioned stimulus. An unconditioned stimulus is a stimulus that instinctively causes a response. An unconditioned response is the response to the unconditioned stimulus that the researcher will document. A Neutral stimulus is a stimulus that may not get a response initially however after time, develops an instinctive response. A conditioned stimulus is a neutral stimulus after is has taught the response by training based on the conditioning. A conditioned response is the response to the conditioned stimulus. Extinction, spontaneous recovery, generalization, and discrimination are all a part of the classical conditioning process (Nevid,
There are two learning processes that are used, classical condition and operant conditioning. One learning process used is classical conditioning. Classical conditioning is a learning process in which a neutral stimulus becomes associated with a meaningful stimulus and acquires the capacity to elicit a similar response. I found two TV commercials that are excellent examples for classical conditioning. The first commercial I found is an Old Spice commercial. The ad starts off with an attractive man in a bathroom telling women to compare the men in their lives to him, stating that if men would stop using girl body wash they could be like him. The ad then moves to a boat where the man in the commercial offers the women in the audience two tickets to something they would enjoy and diamonds and then states that anything is possible if men used Old Spice as a body wash to smell like a man, not a lady. The second commercial I chose is a Nike advertisement. Throughout the advertisement there are young, attractive, fit, and famous people working hard to succeed.
“Classical conditioning is a type of learning in which a stimulus acquires the capacity to evoke a response that was originally evoked by another stimulus”.
According to Nicholas Baker, thanks to studies in Sweden, humans who own dogs tend to live longer by decreasing the risk of all causes of death by twenty percent and decreasing the risk of cardiovascular disease by twenty three percent. Not all dogs allowed for this decrease in health risk. There are certain breeds that gave off the effect which were pointers, and retrievers, two breeds that require a large amount of physical activity to maintain a healthy lifestyle. In a Psychological perspective, the involvement of classical conditioning can easily be intertwined with this article. How exactly does this concept of psychology take place? First of all what is classical conditioning? Classical conditioning is a learning procedure where
Classical conditioning is a type of learning in which an organism learns to transfer a natural response from one stimulus to another, previously neutral stimulus. Classical conditioning is achieved by manipulating reflexes. Operant conditioning is a type of learning in which the likelihood of a
There are seven basic processes to classical conditioning. The first process is acquisition which occurs when the conditioned stimulus elicits a response for the first time (Davey, 1992). The second process is stimulus contiguity which says that the two events (unconditioned stimulus and the conditioned stimulus) will more likely become associated with each other if they occur within a small time interval (Davey, 1992). The third process is extinction which is when the conditioned response weakens and disappears due to lack of reinforcement (Davey, 1992). The fourth process is spontaneous recovery which is when the conditioned response re-emerges after extinction has occurred (Comer, et al, 2013). The fifth process is stimulus generalisation which occurs when the response is elicited by more than one similar stimuli (Davey, 1992). The sixth process is stimulus discrimination which is when the same response is not elicited by two conditioned stimuli (Davey, 1992). The seventh and final process is higher-order conditioning which can be intentional or unintentional and occurs when a conditioned response occurs to more than one stimulus (Davey,
Our understanding of classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and observational learning has allowed us to unlock many of the answers we sought to learn about human behavior. Classical conditioning is a technique of behavioral training, coined by Ivan Pavlov, which basically states that an organism learns through establishing associations between different events and stimuli. This helps us understand human behavior in an assortment of ways. It makes it clear that almost everything we do is based on patterns of stimulus and response. For example, if you were bitten aggressively by a dog as a child, you may be still scared of dogs today. That is because the dog caused you pain, which in turn caused you have anxiety towards dogs.
Operant conditioning has made a significant contribution into the development of psychology. However, as with most psychological theories, this theory it has its strengths and weaknesses. Nevertheless, operant conditioning, with both its positive and negative aspects, is very important in promoting learning of desirable behaviors or removal of undesirable
Behaviourist Approach The behaviourist approach is concerned with observable stimulus-response behaviours, and states all behaviours are learned through interaction with the environment. Behaviourists study changes in behaviour that are caused by a person’s direct experience of their environment, using the principles of classical and operant conditioning. Behaviourism focuses on two main concepts which are, the stimulus/object or event that is measurable and may affect behaviour and the response. Shaping behaviour through reinforcement is a method that assists you in setting goals for the behaviour, shaping allows you to build this desired behaviour in steps and reward those behaviours that come progressively closer to the one you have selected
For years, people have been manipulating animals and people to behave a certain way. This is called classical and operant conditioning. When one punishes a puppy for urinating indoors, but rewards it each time it urinates outdoors, he or she is using operant conditioning. On the other hand, classical conditioning is used when food corporations use celebrities and misleading photos to advertise their food. Within behavioral psychology, classical and operant conditioning are believed to be two types of methods in which people learn and behave. They are not only commonly studied in psychology, but have been commonly used all over the world for many years and are still used today.
According to behaviorism, the focus is usually on behaviors that are objectively observable while offering a discount on the mental activities. Given that learning refers to the acquisition of new behavior, one of the common among the learning theories is the classic conditioning. Also referred to as the Pavlovian conditioning, the theory of classical conditioning is one that has been used repeatedly to provide an explanation and an interpretation of human behavior from different aspects. For instance, the theory of classical conditioning has been used to explain behaviors related to phobia, source of emotions, and feelings of nervousness among others. In this case, therefore, it is evident that classic conditioning refers to a process of learning through temporal association where two events that occur closely in a repeated manner become fused together in a way that produces the same response (Goldman,
One major aspect of psychology is learning. Learning can be defined as the change of a being’s behavior or actions brought about by its experiences. Learning has multiple forms and facets. Two of the most important of these are what are known as classical conditioning and operant conditioning. These forms of learning are very practical and can be seen and used in everyday life. Classical and operant conditioning are different forms of learning which have importance in everyday life and can be found in advertising, PTSD, and even lifestyle changes.
Classical and operant conditioning are two important concepts central to behavioral psychology. While both result in learning, the processes are quite different. In order to understand how each of these behavior modification techniques can be used, it is also essential to understand how classical conditioning and operant conditioning differ from one another. Both classical and operant learning are psychological processes that lead to learning. Here learning refers to the process by which changes in behavior, including actions, emotions, thoughts, and the responses of muscles and glands,
Classical conditioning includes the use of the following processes; Response Acquisition, this is when we gain new responses to stimuli. Extinction, this is when we weaken the original responses. Spontaneous recovery, this is when the Conditioned response can return after a break from it, this shows that the response is never truly eliminated but rather suppressed. Stimulus Generalization, similar stimuli create the same response as the original stimuli. Stimulus Discrimination, this is when there is no response to similar stimuli and only the original stimuli. Higher Order Conditioning is when you add an additional stimulus to the original one to create the response, stimuli are
Learning is a permanent change in behaviour that is achieved through experience (Huitt, W., & Hummel J., 2006). Behaviourist approach involves classical and instrumental conditioning, which shows how humans and/or animals learn from their environment with different stimuli present in various situations (McLeod, S., 2007). This essay will examine differences and similarities of classical and instrumental conditioning, as well as how effective they are in learning.