Classical vs. Operant Conditioning - Essay Example

Classical vs. Operant Conditioning Operant and classical conditioning are psychological processes by which experience and practice influence behavior. Classical conditioning is based on involuntary responses to a given stimulus while operant conditioning involves learning new ways through experience accrued from responses. Both conditionings are of importance to the study of psychology and in solving common behavioral issues in humans. They exhibit declining recovery or response once the stimuli or exposure is withdrawn and the response eventually stops if the stimulus is not administered. While classical conditioning involves a neutral signal placed before a reflex, operant conditioning applies punishment or reinforcement to encourage or deter a behavior. Operant conditioning involves voluntary action whose outcome is either encouraged or discouraged. On the other hand, classical conditioning entails involuntary and automatic behavior. A good example of Classical conditioning is the claim that “the beach is packed because it is sunny”, where the stimulus is the weather. Cherry (n.d.) states that classical conditioning produces an unconditioned response characterized by an unconditioned stimulus. In this case, the reason the beach is packed with many people is because of a conducive stimulus that encourages them to go to the beach. When we consider the case of a prosecutor presenting a guilty charge against the defendant, then we are looking at classical conditioning. His job acts as a stimulus and the response he elicits is prosecuting the convict. To alter the above behavior through classical conditioning, I would subject the people touring the beach to a stimulus that would attract them to the beach even on non-sunny days. McLoed (2008) states that “to learn a new behavior through classical conditioning an individual uses the process of association”. A free burger to all beach visitors during non-sunny days for instance, can create a stimulus that would trigger an unconditional response. In the case of the prosecutor, I would offer him a job as a public defender at a different county with a higher pay. Working with the defendants will create a different stimulus that will facilitate recovery from the guilty presumption that he was familiar with; to the notion of innocent till proven guilty. In order to check the effectiveness of the burger incentive, I would keep a record of the average number of individuals visiting the beach on non-sunny days. In classical conditioning, the neutral stimulus does not produce any response until it pairs with an unconditioned stimulus. To further investigate the effectiveness of this approach, the burgers are given in designated days of the week. If the average visits are higher during the free burger days, then we can conclude that the people have been classical conditioned using a different stimulus. However, if the number is less during non-sunny days despite availability of free burgers, then we can conclude that the procedure is a failure. The study would use the scientific principle of Falsifiability, which states that “every claim stands a chance to be disapproved.” For the second case, I would place the prosecutor to act as a jury member in multiple cases and evaluate his responses in comparison with the verdicts of other members of the jury. One of the best determinants of learning occurrence in classical conditioning is the time interval involved. Any occurrence of a guilty vote against a backdrop of innocent votes by other jury members will signify a failure of the stimulus while consistent votes in line with other jury members will signify that stimulus is effective. This study would use the scientific principle that unfamiliar claims require unfamiliar evidences. Operant conditioning can also be used to explain people’s tendencies to go to the beach during sunny days. They are attracted to the beach not from the stimuli they get from swimming and basking in the sun, but rather from past experiences of beach visits. This conditioning can also be applied in the prosecutor’s case. His decision to charge the defendant guilty does not stem from actual evidences brought forth, but rather from experience as criminal prosecutor. The prosecutor convicts the defendant to solicit praise from the society as the reward. Cherry states that operant conditioning requires an action from the learner to draw a reward or punishment. (Cherry, n.d.) Operant conditioning could therefore be used to alter behaviors in both cases. I would apply a reinforcement approach to alter the behavior. According to Nicholas (2009), rewarding a subject should involve a response differentiation model that rewards according to excellence achieved. Visitors to the beach would be provided with free membership based on the total number of visits they make in a year. Their behavior will therefore depend on the award of free membership. The prosecutor on the other hand will be praised whenever he makes sound judgment and denied entry into the court for any wrongful conviction. The prosecutor will be forced to investigate a case thoroughly before making any judgments. Nicholas further notes that the rate of behavioral change is dependent on the average interval between rewards. (Nicholas, 2009) A hypothetical study to test the efficiency achieved among beach visitors would involve offering a monthly free membership to the visitor with most appearances in a given week. A promise of the same to the visitors would increase daily visits indicating a positive outcome. In the other case, I would present the prosecutor with a tailored case to test the operant conditioning behavioral change. I would provide him with a case on capital offense crime and analyze the time taken to determine the defendant’s fate. My study would use the Occam’s Razor scientific principle that requires individuals to select the most parsimonious explanation. Classical and operant conditioning are relevant to psychologists today as they form a platform that studies human behavior. Classical and operant conditioning principles outline psychology and the study of human behavior in a scientific approach. Through this, the society can explain complexities of human life and understand why people behave in a given way. The society is a step closer to eradicating unwanted human behavior and solving complex behavioral problems through the study of operant and classical conditioning (McLoed, 2008). Works Cited 1. Cherry, Kendra. "Classical vs. Operant Conditioning." About.com, n.d. Web. 30 Mar. 2015. . 2. McLeod, Saul. "Classical Conditioning." Simply Psychology, 2008. Web. 30 Mar. 2015. . 3. Nicholas, Lionel. Introduction to Psychology. South Africa: Juta and Company Ltd, Apr 1 2009. Web. 30 Mar. 2015. Read More