Psyc learning and cognition - Essay Example

02 March ical and instrumental conditioning: ical conditioning technique can be employed by a teacher to help students in freeing themselves from anxiety problems. In my elementary school, I remember how one of the science teachers used classical conditioning to develop a positive learning environment, and which helped me much in staying calm during that time that was fraught with stress. I used to get downright nervous whenever presented with a science test in that time, because of the wrath of another teacher I had to face once as a child after failing in a simple science test, despite trying.

Following that sad experience, I developed mixed feelings of disappointment, anxiety, and stress on grounds of shame I felt before the whole class, as I was yelled at furiously by that teacher. Therefore, sitting for a test became an unconditioned stimulus for me while anxiety formed an unconditioned response. The other science teacher who employed the amazing tool of classical conditioning tried removing the link between my past experience and anxiety, and this became clear to me soon after he became our regular teacher.

He assessed the general outlook and mood of every single student in the classroom, and later used to apply diverse techniques to work upon the weaknesses noticed. In my case, he very carefully and subtly paired the stimulus of test with praiseworthy and encouraging words, due to which the anxiety I previously used to feel upon being asked a question got replaced with positive conditioned response of confidence. That is how classical conditioning acted as a benefit for me because it removed negative stimuli to develop positive behavior.

Instrumental conditioning can be used to both strengthen and repress a certain behavior by way of encouragement or reprimand, respectively. The probability of how long instrumental conditioning could last depends on the severity of reward or punishment. In my freshman year, I developed the studious habit of remaining homebound and reading a lot in order to get past the tough subjects I had taken. Learning way more than my batch mates earlier than required also fomented my confidence level, which particularly skyrocketed nearly every time a teacher used to ask any question during a lecture.

Though volunteering to answer a question by raising hand is always thought to be a good student practice, and I was also appreciated upon doing so, which reinforced this particular eager behavior of mine to answer questions. But, it is undeniably true that excess of everything is bad. On being encouraged and praised before the whole class so very often, my confidence leaped out of bounds on many levels, and I got in the habit of answering or talking out of turn in the classroom. This included disturbing the professor halfway through a lecture for adding some point missed by him/her, and answering questions asked to others.

So, seeing this nagging behavior, my professors started reprimanding me seriously whenever I talked out of turn, and gave punishment whenever necessary to weaken that behavior. As a result, my talking out of turn behavior ended. I learnt to stay clam and always wait for my turn in life.