Classical and Operant Conditioning - Essay Example

Classical and Operant Conditioning This student has selected exercising as an example of classical conditioning and studying as an example of operant conditioning. As couple A and B exit their condo block to go for a morning walk (US) to get their exercise (UR), down Leon Avenue, they see couple C and D enter into a gymnasium several doors down (CS), which they are intending to pass on this particular morning’s walk. As they do, they notice through the large windows what appears to be a pleasant-looking and well-equipped exercise facility. Next morning they choose to take their walk (US) to get some exercise (UR) by again walking down Leon Avenue for the prime purpose of looking through the gym’s large windows. The following morning, they once again decide to get their exercise (UR) by walking (US) the same route of the past two days, only this time they enter the gymnasium to look around and make some queries. The fourth morning, they once again decide to walk (US) down Leon Avenue; and as was the case yesterday, they enter the gymnasium. This time, however, they become members (CR) having decided to use this facility for their exercising. The next morning and many mornings thereafter, the gymnasium (CS) is the place they go for their exercise (CR). This student has also chosen an activity for operant conditioning; namely, studying. A psychology professor has a double period every Friday. On some of those Fridays, the professor will, at the beginning of the second period, ask the students to study (desired behaviour) the material from the first period, telling them they are free to ask him questions about the material that they did not understand. Some students do as asked, while others do not. Then, approximately 15 minutes before the end of study period a quiz is given. Those who studied, invariably obtain a good mark on the quiz, which serves as a positive reinforcement for their studying behaviour. As students who studied CLASSICAL AND OPERANT CONDITIONING 3 keep receiving good quiz grades (positive reinforcement), it strengthens the desired response (studying) and increases the chance that it will keep on happening (Morris, 1976). Social and cultural environments actually act as powerful classical and operant conditioners. Class is one cultural indicator (Benchmarks on Line). If a person is born into a class (e.g. upper middle class) where diligent studying and resulting good grades are highly valued, a student will be praised and often also rewarded with tangible items such as a bicycle, camp, a skiing holidays, and so forth. Such rewards serve to strengthen the chances that these desired behaviours will occur again and again (operant conditioning). An Unconditioned Response (UR) is one that occurs naturally, such as sleeping. An Unconditioned Stimulus (US) is one that also occurs naturally, such as feeling sleepy. A Conditioned Response (CR) is not what one normally does, but what one is conditioned to do. For instance, someone goes to bed normally at 11 p.m. (UR), but the family wants the individual to go to bed at 10 p.m.; and when (s)he does that, the person has been conditioned (CR) to go to bed at 10 p.m. The conditioned stimulus (CS) in this example would be when the clocks show 10 p.m. In operant conditioning there are primary reinforcers, for which no learning is required for them to be reinforcing. For example, when children are bribed to do something by being given candy, that is a primary reinforcer because it did not have to be learned (Primary Reinforcement). A primary punisher is “any punisher that loses its effectiveness only through satiation. Primary punishers are usually basically physical events such as hitting, shock, pinching, and so on” (Student Resource Glossary). A secondary reinforcer is a “reinforcer that CLASSICAL AND OPERANT CONDITIONING 4 gains reinforcing properties because it is associated with a primary reinforcer” (Psychology Glossary). For example, money is a secondary reinforcer because it allows access to primary reinforcers such as clothing, heat, food, shelter, etc. Secondary Punishers have acquired reinforcement properties through association with primary punishers. Examples are criticisms, demerits, and bad grades. In operant conditioning, a positive reinforcement is anything that follows a behaviour that makes it more likely that the particular event/action will occur again in the future (Cherry). One must, however, be certain that the positive reinforcer is actually that for the recipient. Giving a shiny new bicycle, the size of which is suitable for seven year olds, will certainly not be a positive reinforcer for a 16 year old girl who has just received straight A’s on her report card. Negative reinforcement is a term used by Skinner in his theory of operant conditioning. It involves a response or behaviour “strengthened by stopping, removing, or avoiding a negative outcome or aversive stimulus.... Behaviours are negatively reinforced when they allow you to escape from aversive stimuli that are already present or allow you to avoid the aversive stimuli before they happen” (Cherry). Negative reinforcement is often confused with punishment. Think of it this way: A punishment is something that is added to the situation while negative reinforcement is something that is subtracted from it. For example, before you go to the beach you apply sunscreen liberally so you will not get a sunburn; you clean up the mess in the kitchen so as to not get into a fight with your roommate; and you leave early for class so as not to be late. The negative reinforcers in these examples are sunburn, fight with roommate, and being late for class because you have been able to avoid them. CLASSICAL AND OPERANT CONDITIONING 5 Benchmarks on Line. Human Society. Retrieved on February 22, 2012, from http://www. project2061.org/publications/bst/online/index.php7.chapter=; Cherry, K. What is Negative Reinforcement? Retrieved on February 22, 2012 from http://psychology.about.com/od/operantconditioning/f/negative-reinforcer. Cherry K. What is Positive Reinforcement? Retrieved on February 22, 2012, from http://psychology.about.com//od/operantconditioning/f/positive-reinforcen. Morris, C. (1976). Psychology: An Introduction. Second Edition. Prentice-Hall, Inc.: Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. Primary Reinforcement. Retrieved on February 22, 2012, from http://www.alleydog.com/ glossary/definition.php?term=primary%reir. Psychology Glossary: Everything About Psychology. Retrieved on February 22, 2012, from http://www.psychology-lexicon.com/cms/glossary-s/secondary. Student Resource Glossary. Retrieved on February 22, 2012, from www.wadsworth.com/ cgi-wadsworth/course_productswppl?p. 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