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The Theory Of Classical Conditioning

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Classical conditioning is a form of learning that is taught to us through experiences we encounter in our lives. It involves outside stimuli to trigger the condition we have learned to expect. For example, the sound of a lunch bell would trigger our stomach to start growling soon after hearing the bell ring. The expectation of food to come soon after hearing the bell and satisfy our hunger is what makes our stomach growl. This is something learned over time. Expectations can be both good and bad. Sometimes these negative experiences cause us to have certain behaviors when we are reminded of such an event.

For example, Antonio’s visit to the hospital with a bad case of the flue is a perfect example of a bad expectation in classical …show more content…

Therefore, the association between Antonio’s bad flue experience and hospital is what Antonio learned to feel after a bad experience in the hospital where he was treated for the flue.

I experienced similar circumstances such as Antonio’s but I learned by operant conditioning. As a boy I loved playing outside with my army of toys. One of my rewards for behaving as a child was eating all my food at the dinner table to allow me to be able to go outside and play in the front yard. This was great but with one condition, I was told by my mother never to leave the yard. We lived in a big yard but for a young 12-year-old boy the park across the street with the playground and basketball court was very appealing. So naturally, I disobeyed my mother and ran across the street to play in the park without her knowing. First time she caught me at the park without her permission was a 2-day punishment that included not being able to play outside at all. After a few days and serving my punishment, I ate all my dinner and was able to once again play in our yard. But I still was not allowed to leave it. The second time she caught me at the park without her permission was a 4-day punishment without going outside at all. I did not like spending all day inside so after being punished for not following my mother’s rules, I learned to stay within my boundaries and enjoy the

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