classical and Opperant conditioning

Classical Conditioning

Classical Conditioning - learning to make an involuntary (reflex) response to a stimulus other than the original, natural stimulus that naturally produces the reflex. * Essentially, the subject learns that a stimulus signals something or has meaning. Sometimes this is pleasant, and sometimes it isn't.*Ex. Pavlov's Dogs 0 - the dogs started to salivate before they were presented with food, they learned to anticipate it.Unconditioned = Unlearned; naturalConditioned = learned; not a natural reaction. UCS ( food) --> UCR (salivation)NS (bell) + UCS (food) --> UCR (salivation)CS (bell) --> CR (salivation)Acquisition: initial learning of the connection between the UCS and the CS when they are paired.Generalization: responding with the CR to a stimuli that is similar to the CS.Discrimination: elimination of the CR to something that is not similar to the CS. Extinction: the disappearance or weakening of the CR because of a continued lack of UCS accompanying it.Spontaneous Recovery: reappearance of a learned response after extinction once the UCS is reintroduced.Counter Conditioning: breaking apart the association between a conditioned stimulus and its conditioned response ( often in therapy)Aversive Conditioning: repeated pairings of a stimulus with a very unpleasant stimulus to make something undesirable.Habituation: decreased responsiveness to a stimulus after repeated presentations.

Operant Conditioning

This better explains voluntary behaviors. Operant Conditioning - learning of behavior that is voluntary based on the consequences that are elicited. Ex. Thorndike's Law of Effectconsequence strengthens or weakens an S-R connection.Ex. B.F. Skinner expanded on Thorndike's work. Shaping (reward approximations of the desired behavior) *Fun Note: An Important contribution of B.F. Skinner was that he standardized the language scientists used to refer to learning. After all, Skinner's undergraduate studies were not in Psychology, but in English Literature. Skinner worked with the U.S. military to train pigeons to guide missiles/torpedoes. Shaping: the reinforcement of simple steps in behavior that leads to a desired, more complex behavior.Reinforcements: Those events of stimuli that occurs after behavior and increases the probability that the behavior will occur again. Types of reinforcements -Primary Reinforcements: satisfies basic needs.Secondary Reinforcements: has been taught to have value (and can obtain primary reinforcers).