Classical conditioning and operant conditioning are different learning methods. The two methods have the word conditioning in common. What is conditioning? Conditioning is the acquisition of specific patterns of behavior in the presence of well-defined stimuli. Both classical and operant conditioning are basic forms of learning. Classical conditioning is a type of learning in which an organism learns to transfer a natural response from one stimulus to another, previously neutral stimulus. Reflex manipulation does this. Operant conditioning is a type of learning in which the probability of a behavior is increased or decreased through the use of reinforcement or punishment. Operant conditioning deals with more cognitive thought processes. These two forms of learning have similarities and differences. Their similarities are that they both produce basic phenomena. One of these phenomena is acquisition. Both types of conditioning determine the heritability of a behavior. One of the most famous experiments illustrating classical conditioning is Pavlov's Dogs. In this experiment, Pavlov sat behind a one-way mirror and controlled the presentation of a bell. The bell was the conditioned stimulus. A conditioned stimulus was an originally neutral stimulus that could possibly produce the desired response when presented alone. Immediately after the bell rang, Pavlov gave the dog food. Food was the unconditional stimulus. This means that the food caused an uncontrollable response whenever it was presented alone. That response would be the dog salivating. A tube that was in the dog's mouth then measured the saliva. When the unconditioned stimulus (US) was paired with a conditioned stimulus (CS), a conditioned response was ultimately obtained. Extinction results if there is a decrease in the frequency or strength of a learned response due to the inability to continue pairing the US and CS. Extinction can also occur in operant conditioning. The key to operant conditioning is reinforcement. Reinforcement occurs when a stimulus is presented that increases the likelihood that the previous response will be repeated in the future. If reinforcement is withheld, extinction will occur in operant conditioning. Another factor involved in conditioning is spontaneous recovery. That is, the reappearance of an extinguished response after the passage of time, without further training. If Pavlov's dogs didn't hear the bell for a few years, and if when they heard it they drooled, it would be an example of spontaneous recovery. Something similar happens with operant conditioning.
tags