CLASSICAL AND

OPERANT
CONDITIONING
GROUP 1
SHRAVAN ABRAHAM
ASHWINI
SINDURA SADANANDAN
SNEHA JOHN

LEARNING

Learning is often defined as a relatively permanent

change in behavior that is the result of experience.

Any knowledge or behavior that we now possess that

we were not born with, was somehow "learned".

Psychologists have studied learning in a variety of

ways. Classical Conditioning and Instrumental/Operant
conditioning are two important theories used to
explain the process of learning.

CLASSICAL CONDITIONING

First described by Ivan

Pavlov, a Russian
physiologist

A form of learning in
which one stimulus
comes to serve as a
signal for the occurrence
of a second stimulus.

PAVLOVS
EXPERIMENT

WATSONS EXPERIMENT

Basic Principles of CC

Acquisition is the initial stage in classical

conditioning in which an association between a
neutral stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus
takes place.
The conditioned stimulus gradually acquires the
capability to elicit a conditioned response.

Tendency to respond to stimuli similar to the CS is

called generalization.
Discrimination is the learned ability to distinguish
between a conditioned stimulus and other stimuli
that do not signal an unconditioned stimulus.
After a rest period, an extinguished CR (salivation)
spontaneously recovers Spontaneous Recovery
When the US (food) does not follow the CS (tone),
CR (salivation) begins to decrease and eventually
causes extinction.

Applications of CC
Classical conditioning is effective in a number of
therapeutic treatments in humans, such asaversion therapy, systematic desensitization,
and flooding.
Classical conditioning is used not only in
therapeuticinterventions, but in everyday life
as well, such as by advertising agencies.
Understanding and treating phobias (Usually by
counter conditioning -attempting to replace the
unpleasant response (fear) with a more
pleasant response (happiness).

Conditioned Immunosuppression as a
Treatment for Lupus
Olness & Ader (1992) treated an 11-year old girl
with severe lupus
Standard treatment is cyclophosphamide (an
immunosuppressant drug), once per month for 1
year
They gave the girl a compound CS (taste of cod
liver oil & smell of rose) followed by
cyclophosphamide on 6 occasions, and on
alternating months gave her just the CS
She showed a significant reduction in symptoms
and still looked good 5 years later.

OPERANT CONDITIONING

Introduced by B.F Skinner

A form of learning through

which organisms learn to repeat
behaviours that yield positive
outcomes or permit them to
avoid or escape from negative
outcomes.

SKINNER BOX EXPERIMENT

A Skinner box is a chamber that

contains a bar or key that an animal
can press in order to obtain food as a
type of reinforcement. The box also
had a device that recorded each
response provided by the animal as
well as the unique schedule of
reinforcement that the animal was
assigned.

Using the device researchers could

carefully study behavior in a very
controlled environment. For example,
researchers could utilize the Skinner
box to determine which schedule of
reinforcement led to the highest rate
of response in the study subjects.

REINFORCEMENT

The application or removal of a stimulus to

increase the strength of a specific
behaviour.

Positive Reinforcement- Application of a

desirable stimulus. (E.g. Food, praise etc)

Negative Reinforcement- Application of an

undesirable (aversive) stimulus. (E.g. heat,
cold, harsh criticism)

PUNISHMENT

A procedure by which the application or

removal of a stimulus decreases the
strength of a behaviour.

Positive punishment application of an

undesirable stimulus.

Negative punishment- Loss or

postponement of a desirable stimulus.

SCHEDULES OF
REINFORCEMENT

Defined as determination of when

reinforcers are applied i.e Continuous or
Partial/Intermittent Reinforcement

Shaping- A technique in which closer and

closer approximations to a desired
behaviour are required for the delivery of
positive reinforcement.

Chaining- A procedure that establishes a

sequence of responses, which lead to a
reward following the final response in the
chain.