Operant Conditioning
Classical and Operant Conditioning and Phobias
Classical and Operant Conditioning, the two main methods of learning found in chapter 5of the textbook, Psychology are said to contribute to the attaining of phobias. These 2 types of conditioning vary in style and effectiveness, however both are responsible for shaping behavior, attitude and perception. In this paper we will first discuss how phobias can be developed through classical conditioning, second we will discuss how phobias can be developed through operant conditioning, third we will discuss the differences between classical and operant conditioning, and lastly we will define extinction and how it can be achieved in both classical and operant conditioning.
Phobias and Classical …show more content…
The most popular and widely used example of classical conditioning is the example of Pavlov’s Dog. Essentially, Pavlov trained or taught a dog to salivate at the sound of a bell. In this example, “shortly before presenting the UCS (the food), Pavlov presented a neutral stimulus-a stimulus (in this case, ringing a bell) that normally does not elicit the response in question. After the bell had been paired with the unconditioned stimulus (the food) several times, the sound of the bell alone came to evoke a conditioned response, salivation” (Robin Kowalski, Drew Westen, 2009, p. 158 ). Another example used in the textbook is the example of a cat running into the kitchen every time he hears a can opener because he associates that sound with the opening of his cat food. Classical conditioning is essentially taking an innate or unconditioned reflex that occurs in the presence of an unconditioned stimulus and pairing it with a neutral stimulus, then removing the unconditioned stimulus which results in the producing the unconditioned reflex with the occurrence of the neutral …show more content…
The textbook points out that the major difference is which principle comes first. As we saw in classical conditioning, something in the environment, or an environmental stimulus, elicits the behavior from the animal or the person. In operant conditioning, however, the behavior from the animal or the person comes first, followed by the environmental response. For example, in the behavioral therapy of children with autism (working with a child that has low language use and limited eye contact) a therapist would allow the child to play and every time that child uses eye contact and/or language (or a combination of both) to gain access to a preferred item he would not only gain access to that item, but he would receive a reinforce such as an M&M or a gummy bear. However this type of learning cannot always guarantee that the person or animal will make connections between the operant and the reinforcer, this leads to what psychologist B.F. Skinner labeled “superstitious behavior” (Robin Kowalski, Drew Westen, 2009, p. 168). This is most typically seen in examples of athletes wearing their “lucky socks” during important games, however it can be seen in a person making the “wrong” connection between operant and reinforce, thus leading to an irrational fear or phobia of
Classical and Operant Conditioning, the two main methods of learning found in chapter 5of the textbook, Psychology are said to contribute to the attaining of phobias. These 2 types of conditioning vary in style and effectiveness, however both are responsible for shaping behavior, attitude and perception. In this paper we will first discuss how phobias can be developed through classical conditioning, second we will discuss how phobias can be developed through operant conditioning, third we will discuss the differences between classical and operant conditioning, and lastly we will define extinction and how it can be achieved in both classical and operant conditioning.
Phobias and Classical …show more content…
The most popular and widely used example of classical conditioning is the example of Pavlov’s Dog. Essentially, Pavlov trained or taught a dog to salivate at the sound of a bell. In this example, “shortly before presenting the UCS (the food), Pavlov presented a neutral stimulus-a stimulus (in this case, ringing a bell) that normally does not elicit the response in question. After the bell had been paired with the unconditioned stimulus (the food) several times, the sound of the bell alone came to evoke a conditioned response, salivation” (Robin Kowalski, Drew Westen, 2009, p. 158 ). Another example used in the textbook is the example of a cat running into the kitchen every time he hears a can opener because he associates that sound with the opening of his cat food. Classical conditioning is essentially taking an innate or unconditioned reflex that occurs in the presence of an unconditioned stimulus and pairing it with a neutral stimulus, then removing the unconditioned stimulus which results in the producing the unconditioned reflex with the occurrence of the neutral …show more content…
The textbook points out that the major difference is which principle comes first. As we saw in classical conditioning, something in the environment, or an environmental stimulus, elicits the behavior from the animal or the person. In operant conditioning, however, the behavior from the animal or the person comes first, followed by the environmental response. For example, in the behavioral therapy of children with autism (working with a child that has low language use and limited eye contact) a therapist would allow the child to play and every time that child uses eye contact and/or language (or a combination of both) to gain access to a preferred item he would not only gain access to that item, but he would receive a reinforce such as an M&M or a gummy bear. However this type of learning cannot always guarantee that the person or animal will make connections between the operant and the reinforcer, this leads to what psychologist B.F. Skinner labeled “superstitious behavior” (Robin Kowalski, Drew Westen, 2009, p. 168). This is most typically seen in examples of athletes wearing their “lucky socks” during important games, however it can be seen in a person making the “wrong” connection between operant and reinforce, thus leading to an irrational fear or phobia of