Contrasting Principles of Classical and Operant Conditioning

Learning is a very important part of Psychology and it has been defined as ‘any relatively permanent change in behaviour, or behaviour potential, produced by experience’ (Baron, p.169). Learning is a key process in human behaviour; it can play an important role in most of the activities we do. Even though the effects of learning are extremely diverse, most psychologists believe that learning occurs in several basic forms: conditioning – classical and operant and observational learning. Myers defined conditioning as ‘the process of learning associations’. Classical conditioning is where the stimulus serves as a signal for the occurrence of a second stimulus. (Learning to associate two†¦show more content†¦After several times of placing the food in the dog’s mouth and the sound occurring at the same time, the dog began to salivate to just the sound, in anticipation of the food being brought. Using this procedure, Pavlov was able to condition the dog to salivate to many different stimuli such as a buzzer or a touch on the leg. Firstly, the dog salivated for the food and this behaviour was natural and an unconditioned response and because food being placed in the dog’s mouth automatically meant the dog would salivate the food was called the unconditioned stimulus. After the dog had learnt that a particular sound meant the food would follow shortly after, the dog would begin to salivate and he called this the conditioned response. Pavlov found that even if food was not brought the dog would still salivate to the sound and this was called the conditioned stimulus. Pavlov’s experiment generated much research as they identified many conditioning processes such as acquisition, extinction, spontaneous recovery, generalisation and discrimination. Baron defined acquisition as ‘The process by which a conditioned stimulus acquires the ability to elicit a conditioned response through repeated pairings of an unconditioned stimulus with the conditioned stimulus’. Acquisition tends to happen rapidly at first but then after a while tends to slowShow MoreRelatedLearning Experience Paper : Smoking Cessation Essay1185 Words   |  5 Pagesin the environment (such as in classical and operant conditioning). And, cognitive-social learning is a cognitive learning process - series of thoughts and comprehension with experiences and actions - materializing in a social framework and supervenes purely via observation or explicit instruction (such as in observational learning/modeling). Further expounding, there are three prime psychological learning perspectives: classical and operant conditioning (associative learning types), andRead MoreIvan Pavlov s Theory Of Classical Conditioning Essay1349 Words   |  6 Pagesdevelopment of the first experimental model of learning: classical conditioning. He began his studies as a theology major, and changed throughout the years to physiology at the University of St. Petersburg. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1904 (Psychology History). Ivan Pavlov was a very intelligent man. He was known for working on and experimenting with animals (dogs specifically). Pavlov s theory of classical conditioning consisted of a dog, a bell, food, and salivation. HeRead MoreWhen Mental Health Problems, Otherwise Known As Psychopathology,1510 Words   |  7 Pagesperson’s mental illness. Behavioral and cognitive models each see psychopathology as a result of different things that have happened in one’s life. 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Jason has a bully named Alex that picks on him at school, who happens to wear a particular brand of cologne