Marlon E.

Rafael August 25, 2018

Midterm Exam 4:00-7:00 pm/ Saturday

Both classical conditioning and operant conditioning are processes that lead to learning.

Classical conditioning pairs two stimuli, while Operant conditioning pairs behavior and
response. Also, classical conditioning always works with involuntary responses, while operant
conditioning works with voluntary behaviors. They involve making association between
behavior and events in an organism’s environment and are governed by several general laws of
association, For example, it is easier to associate stimuli that are similar to each other and that
occur at similar times. Although a basic feature of operant conditioning is
reinforcement, classical conditioning relies more on association between stimuli and responses.
A second distinction is that much of operant conditioning is based on voluntary behavior,
while classical conditioning often involves involuntary reflexive behavior. One of the simplest
ways to remember the differences between classical and operant conditioning is to focus on
whether the behavior is involuntary or voluntary. In operant conditioning, the learner is also
rewarded with incentives, while classical conditioning involves no such enticements.

Classical Conditioning is a type of learning, that generalizes association between two stimuli, i.e.
one signifies the occurrence of another. ... Classical Conditioning, defines the conditioned and
unconditioned stimulus, but, operant conditioning, does not defines conditioned stimulus, i.e. it
can only be generalized.

In operant conditioning, positive reinforcement involves the addition of a reinforcing stimulus

following a behavior that makes it more likely that the behavior will occur again in the future.
When a favorable outcome, event, or reward occurs after an action, that particular response or
behavior will be strengthened.
Types of Operant Conditioning

Name Behavior Condition

Positive reinforcement Strengthened Positive
Negative reinforcement Strengthened Negative
Punishment Weakened Negative
Positive or
Extinction Weakened
negative

Operant conditioning is a type of

learning where behavior is controlled by
consequences. Key concepts in operant
conditioning are positive reinforcement,
negative reinforcement, positive
punishment and negative punishment. 

Positive Reinforcement

Positive reinforcement is giving

something pleasant after a behavior. This
increases the probability that the behavior
will continue. Examples are:

 Receiving praise after a musical

performance would increase the
amount that you perform.
 A teacher complimenting students
when they answer correctly will
increase that behavior.
Negative Reinforcement

Negative reinforcement is taking away

something unpleasant as a result of the
behavior that is acceptable. This is also
meant to increase the behavior. Examples
are:

 A teacher exempts student from

the final test if they have perfect
attendance. So, the teacher is taking
away something unpleasant to
increase behavior.
 In a biology class, students who
made an "A" on the test did not have
to dissect a frog.
Positive Punishment 

Positive punishment is used to decrease a

behavior and is presenting something
unpleasant after the behavior. Examples
are:

 When a student misbehaves in

class, she receives a time out.
 In an experiment, the subject
received a slight electric shock when
they got an answer wrong. 
Negative Punishment

Negative punishment is also used to

decrease a behavior and is removing
something pleasant after the behavior.
Examples are:
 An employee is habitually late for
work so begins losing the privilege of
listening to music while working. The
behavior will decrease because of
losing a privilege.
 A child doesn’t put his bike away
so the parents lock it up for a certain
time. The parents took away
something pleasant to decrease
behavior.

Examples of Classical Conditioning:

1. Fear response: Albert was a boy in an experiment where a fear response was conditioned.
Initially, the boy did not fear a white rat. The rat was paired or associated with loud and scary
noises and the boy then became fearful of the rat and other white fuzzy objects.
2. Taste aversions: A person may eat chicken as a meal but later become sick through no fault
of what was eaten. However, the taste of the chicken may later cause the person to feel nauseous
because they associate it with an illness. Some aversions are helpful, such as the taste of sour
milk, which immediately tells a person it is not safe.
3. Training pets: Many dog trainers use classical conditioning to help people train their pets.
Associating the word sit with a tasty treat for the dog will eventually lead the dog to sit without
needing to give it the treat. Other types of tricks and commands may also be taught to pets using
classical conditioning.
4. Behavior: Classical conditioning is also used to increase or decrease an amount of behavior in
raising children or by teachers in a classroom.