Psychology Classical and Operant Conditioning

Classical Conditioning

• Involves associating events or stimuli that occur together repeatedly.
• An unconditioned stimulus (like food) elicits an unconditioned response (such as salivation).
• A neutral stimulus (like a bell) can become a conditioned stimulus when paired with an unconditioned stimulus, leading to a conditioned response.

Operant Conditioning

• Focuses on the relationship between behavior and its consequences (reinforcement or punishment).
• Reinforcement increases the likelihood of a behavior, whereas punishment decreases it.
• Two forms of reinforcement: primary (innate qualities like food) and secondary (gains reinforcing qualities through association).

Key Terms in Conditioning

• Unconditioned Stimulus: Stimulus that elicits an automatic response.
• Unconditioned Response: The automatic reaction to the unconditioned stimulus.
• Conditioned Stimulus: A neutral stimulus that, after association with an unconditioned stimulus, elicits a conditioned response.

Reinforcement and Punishment

• Positive Reinforcement: Increases behavior by providing a rewarding stimulus.
• Negative Reinforcement: Increases behavior by removing an unpleasant stimulus.
• Positive Punishment: Decreases behavior by adding an unpleasant consequence.
• Negative Punishment: Decreases behavior by taking away a pleasant stimulus.

Types of Reinforcement Schedules

• Continuous Reinforcement: Reinforcer is given every time a behavior occurs.
• Fixed Interval: Reinforcement occurs at predictable time intervals.
• Variable Interval: Reinforcement occurs at unpredictable time intervals.
• Fixed Ratio: Reinforcement occurs after a specific number of responses.
• Variable Ratio: Reinforcement occurs after an unpredictable number of responses.

Learning Concepts

• Latent Learning: Learning that occurs but is not immediately observable in behavior until there is a reason to demonstrate it.
• Stimulus Generalization: Associating similar stimuli with the same response.
• Habituation: A decline in response to a stimulus after repeated exposure.

Historical Context

• John B. Watson: Founder of Behaviorism, emphasizing the study of observable behaviors and the importance of conditioning in learning.