Classical and Operant Conditioning

Classical Conditioning

•A type of learning in which an organisms comes to associate stimuli

•A neutral stimulus that signals an unconditioned stimulus…begins to produce a response that anticipates and prepares for the unconditioned stimulus

• Involves unavoidable physical associations• Involuntary

Classical Conditioning Continued

• Unconditioned Response- the unlearned naturally occurring response to the unconditioned stimulus (salivation to meat)

• Unconditioned Stimulus- stimulus that naturally and automatically triggers a response (meat causing salivation)

• Conditioned Response-the learned response to a previously natural but now conditioned stimulus (salivation to bell)

• Conditioned stimulus- an originally irrelevant stimulus that after association with an unconditioned stimulus come to trigger a conditioned response (bell causing salivation)

• Unconditioned and conditioned response are the same

Extra Vocabulary • Acquisition- initial stage in classical conditioning; the phase that

associates a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus so that the neutral stimulus comes to elicit a conditioned response

• Extinction- the diminishing of a conditioned response; occurs when a unconditioned stimuli does not follow a unconditioned stimuli does not follow a conditioned stimulus

• Spontaneous recovery- the reappearance, after a pause, of an extinguished response

• Generalization- the tendency, once a response has been conditioned. For stimuli similar to the conditioned stimulus to elicit a similar response

• Discrimination- the learned ability to distinguish between a conditioned stimulus and stimuli that do not signal an unconditioned response

Operational Conditioning

•A type of learning that in which behavior is strengthened of followed by a reinforcer and diminished if followed by a punisher

• Involves learning caused by the actions we perform

•Voluntary• [Skinner Box]

Reinforcement• Any event that increases the frequency of the

desired behavior

• Positive - presenting a stimulus• Negative - removing a stimulus

• Positive reinforcement - presenting a pleasant stimulus to increase the frequency of a desired behavior

• Negative reinforcement – removing an unpleasant stimulus to increase the frequency of a desired behavior

Punishment • Any event that decreases the frequency of an

undesired behavior

• Positive - presenting a stimulus• Negative - removing a stimulus

• Positive Punishment - adding an unpleasant stimulus to decrease the frequency of an undesired behavior

• Negative punishment - removing a pleasant stimulus to decrease the frequency of an undesired behavior

Extra Vocabulary• Extinction- the diminishing of a conditioned response; occurs in operant

conditioning when a response is no longer reinforced

• Shaping- procedure in which rein forcers guide behavior toward closer and closer approximation of the desired behavior (Clicker in dog training)

• Primary Reinforcer- an innately reinforcing stimulus, such as one that satisfies a biological need (ex. Eating, breathing, love)

• Conditioned (secondary) Reinforcer- a stimulus that gains its reinforcing power through its association with a primary reinforcer

• Continuous Reinforcer- reinforcing the desired response every time it occurs

• Partial (Intermittent) Reinforcement- reinforcing a response only part of the time; results in slower acquisition of a response but has a much greater resistance to extinction than continuous reinforcement does.