Psychology Classical and Operant Conditioning

Questions and Answers

Which of the following best describes classical conditioning?

Reinforcing a behavior through a fixed interval schedule.

Linking an involuntary response to a neutral stimulus. (correct)

Associating voluntary behaviors with their consequences.

A method of shaping complex behaviors through reinforcement.

What effect does a variable ratio reinforcement schedule have on behavior?

It strengthens behavior due to the unpredictability of reinforcement. (correct)

It maintains behavior less effectively than a fixed ratio schedule.

It results in immediate extinction of the behavior.

It discourages behavior as the reinforcement is predictable.

When a conditioned response reappears after a rest period, this phenomenon is known as what?

Stimulus generalization

Behavior shaping

Spontaneous recovery (correct)

Extinction

Which of the following statements about operant conditioning is TRUE?

It can involve shaping behavior through successive approximations. Signup and view all the answers

In the context of stimulus generalization, what would likely occur if a dog conditioned to a bell also responds to a tuning fork?

The dog would likely salivate to the tuning fork as well. Signup and view all the answers

Which type of reinforcement schedule provides a reward after an average number of responses, making it unpredictable?

Variable ratio Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary focus of operant conditioning compared to classical conditioning?

Voluntary behaviors and their consequences. Signup and view all the answers

Which method involves reinforcing behaviors until the desired behavior is achieved?

Shaping behavior Signup and view all the answers

If a dog stops salivating at the sound of a bell after several pairings without food, what process has likely taken place?

Extinction Signup and view all the answers

What is the impact of fixed interval reinforcement on behavior?

It leads to bursts of activity as the reinforcement time approaches. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Classical Conditioning

Associating an involuntary response with a stimulus.
Ivan Pavlov's experiment with dogs demonstrated this: a bell (neutral stimulus) became associated with food, leading to salivation.
Eventually, the sound of the bell alone could trigger salivation, showing the power of learned associations.

Operant Conditioning

Focuses on voluntary behaviors and their consequences.
Behaviors can be reinforced through rewards, increasing their likelihood of repetition.
Types of reinforcement schedules:
- Continuous: Reinforcement occurs every time the behavior is exhibited.
- Variable: Reinforcement happens intermittently, making behaviors more persistent due to unpredictability.
- Fixed Ratio: Reinforcement after a specific number of responses (e.g., every 5th action).
- Variable Ratio: Reinforcement after an average number of responses (e.g., on average, every 5th response).
- Fixed Interval: Reinforcement after a set amount of time (e.g., every 30 minutes).
- Variable Interval: Reinforcement after an average period (e.g., every 3 minutes).

Spontaneous Recovery

Conditioned response can re-emerge after a rest period when the conditioned stimulus is introduced again, even after extinction has occurred.

Stimulus Generalization

Once a response is conditioned to a specific stimulus, similar stimuli are likely to elicit the same conditioned response.
Example: A dog conditioned to salivate to a bell might also salivate to similar sounds.

Shaping Behavior

Involves reinforcing successive approximations toward a desired behavior.
Commonly used in animal training and teaching complex skills to humans, reinforcing steps that get progressively closer to the target behavior.

Description

Explore the principles of conditioning in psychology through this quiz. Delve into the differences between classical conditioning and operant conditioning, including famous experiments such as Pavlov's dogs. Test your knowledge on how these concepts apply to behavior and learning.