Operant Vs Classical Conditioning Essay

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.

While many people may believe that learning is just a natural response that all animals are capable of, there is actually a more complex explanation on how we learn the things we do in order to survive in the world. Classical conditioning and operant conditioning are both basic forms of learning, they have the word conditioning in common. Conditioning is the acquisition of specific patterns of behavior in the presence of well-defined stimuli.

Operant conditioning is a way of learning by rewarding positive behavior and punishing negative. If anyone on the team was late for practice, Coach Carter made them run. That was a punishment so that they would learn to be on time. Classical conditioning is an involuntary way of learning from preceding events. When the team started playing for Carter, the sound of a whistle, known as a conditioned stimulus, meant nothing to them. After a while, Carter trained them to respond to the sound of his whistle instantly by doing whatever he was asking of them, this is known as the conditioned response. This is an excellent example of how classical conditioning works to help us learn.

One of the simplest ways to remember the differences between classical and operant conditioning is to focus on whether the behavior is

Classical conditioning refers to the learning through association. It involves learning a new behavior through the process of association

Classic Conditioning can also be known as stimulus response, conditioned response, respondent condition as these are the behaviors that take place during the Classical Conditioning. There are two basic forms of associative conditioning, classical and operant. Both Ivan Pavlov and John Watson were the first contributors to these behaviorist theories. Ivan Pavlov’s theory came about by working a dog and John Watson worked his classical conditioning with humans.

     Classical conditioning refers to a simple form of learning, which occurs through the repeated association of two or more different stimuli. Learning is

Learning can happen in numerous ways, but all fall under the category of being either classical conditioning or operant conditioning when we are dealing with Psychology terms. These two habituation methods are very comparable in nature, but do possess very specific distinctions in their differences. The major difference between classical and operant conditioning is the type of behaviors being conditioned. Classical is focused more on reflex and automatic actions whereas operant deals more with voluntary actions. Classical and operant conditioning are also different in the way they are taught. Classical conditioning involves introducing the subject to a neutral signal before reaction. Classical conditioning has four basic principles

Classical Conditioning: Classical conditioning refers to learning by association, and involves the conditioning of innate bodily reflexes with new stimuli.

On a slightly different note, operant conditioning is due to a negative or positive consequences following by a specific behavior. The modification of these behaviors is used to shape or obtain a wanted behavior whereas, the behavior for classical conditioning can be consciously or unconsciously modified. In matter of

A substantial portion of behavior is learned, and this learning causes a relatively permanent change in behavior. There are several distinct types of learning, the form utilized in classical conditioning and operant conditioning is called associative learning. Classical conditioning and operant conditioning have different approaches and techniques used in their processes; however, they have the same goal, to alter the behavior or to influence a response from their subject(s). Classical conditioning and operant conditioning have several similarities along with their differences; forms of their behavioral influence have affected me throughout my life.

The founder and main contributor in the development of classical conditioning is Russian psychologists Ivan Pavlov. Pavlov, is an acclaimed man of science, who is prominently known for his investigations and experimental findings known as Pavlov’s dogs. While further exploring the canine digestive system, he

     Classical conditioning is a process of learning associations between stimuli used by Ivan Pavlov, a Russian physiologist. In

As a dog owner, I know how important it is to teach your pets how to behave. Yet, it is important to understand how learning works so that you can develop a strategy to properly and quickly teach your dog. The example of training a dog to roll over is a great model for analysing the aspects of learning involved with this process. Understanding how operant conditioning works and how to reinforce a desired response to that stimuli will help trainers effectively teach dogs. Psychologists, such as Myers (2013), define learning as the process of acquiring new knowledge and behaviors. In this case we are specifically discussing the acquisition of a certain response to a stimulus. The stimulus is the trainer’s command and the desired behavior is the dog to roll over onto his back. These ideas all are based on Edward L. Thorndike’s principle called the law of effect, wherein he stated that behaviors followed by a positive outcomes are more likely to increase in probability. These are all important components of the learning process, especially on the level of training a dog or instilling a simple behavior.

Using examples of both classical and operant conditioning, discuss the contributions and limitations of learning theory for the understanding of behaviour (Schacter et al., 2nd Ed, Chapter 6, also see Chapter 1 for historical context)