Classical vs. Operant Conditioning Flashcards

Study Notes

Developed by Ivan Pavlov, also known as respondent conditioning.
Involves learning through involuntary responses to stimuli.
Unconditioned stimulus (UCS) elicits an unconditioned response (UCR) without prior learning.
Learning occurs by associating two different stimuli, with no behavior involved.

Pioneered by Burrhus Frederic (B.F.) Skinner, based on Thorndike's law of effect.
Concerned with voluntary behavior changes as a result of experiences following a response.
Skinner emphasized studying observable behaviors within psychology.
Key components include reinforcement and punishment to modify behavior.

Operants: Intentional actions that impact the environment.
Neutral Operants: Environmental responses that do not affect the likelihood of behavior repetition.
Reinforcers: Responses that increase the probability of behavior; can be positive (adding a pleasant stimulus) or negative (removing an unpleasant stimulus).
Punishers: Responses that decrease behavior likelihood; can be positive (adding an undesired stimulus) or negative (removing a desired stimulus).

Extinction: Disappearance of a conditioned response due to the removal of reinforcement in operant conditioning or the associated stimulus in classical conditioning.
Extinction Burst: Initial increase in conditioned response when reinforcement ceases before a decline.
Spontaneous Recovery: Unexpected return of a conditioned response after extinction, usually weaker and short-lived.
Stimulus Generalization: Conditioned response occurs in response to stimuli similar to the conditioned stimulus.

Both processes facilitate learning but differ in mechanisms.
Classical conditioning pairs stimuli; operant conditioning pairs behavior with consequences.
Learning occurs prior to response in classical conditioning, and after response in operant conditioning.
Classical conditioning involves involuntary responses, while operant conditioning focuses on voluntary behaviors.