Tag: #ClassicalConditioning

Operant Conditioning

During Dr.Wedes lecture our class discussed two different types of conditioning described as classical conditioning and operant conditioning. Classical conditioning is when an organism learns to associate stimuli.  A very popular example of this conditioning is Pavlov’s dogs. Operant conditioning happens when an organism forms an association between behaviors and resulting events. An example of operant conditioning is teaching a seal to balance a ball on its nose by feeding it fish after it does the action. The main difference is that classical conditioning associates an involuntary response and operant conditioning associates a voluntary behavior.

I experienced operant conditioning when I was around the age of two. My parents told me that they created a system of operant conditioning to help me potty train. My mom said she kept a jar of M&M’s in the bathroom and each time I came to the bathroom myself she would give me one. She said this worked for a while until I got bored of the M&M’s and I would walk to the bathroom just to eat the M&M’s and fell back into my routine of diapers. She then came up with a better idea and said that each time I went to the bathroom she would tally it on a chart and once it reached a certain number then we would go to Disney World. She had already been planning the trip but acted like I had to work for it and my two year old self was so excited and became determined to reach the goal. My mom was using a positive reinforcement to increase my behaviors by presenting a positive reaction and reward each time I went to the bathroom. She said I would practically run to the bathroom each time I had to go so I could reach the goal. She said that even after I reached the goal of Disney I still kept going to the bathroom because I associated a very positive feeling and reward with it.

Although this was just a small example, operant conditioning can be used in various amounts of ways. This type of conditioning is great for training pets and humans. Both types of conditioning are used in tv shows and everyday life.

Classical Conditioning

The definition of classical conditioning given in class is a type of learning in which an organism learns to associate stimuli; an automatic response to a stimulus. An example of this is thunder and lightning. We know that when we see lightning, we wince or get anxious because of the loud sound of thunder that follows immediately after we see this flash of light from the sky. This is because we learn by association, which allows our minds to connect events that occur in a sequence. Ivan Pavlov was a Russian physiologist primarily known for his work with classical conditioning. He conditioned dogs to salivate when hearing a bell. How? Well, Pavlov knew that dogs would naturally salivate when presented with dog food. Therefore, every time he would present a dog some food, he would ring a bell first, then give the dog food. After he practiced this experiment many times, every time he rang a bell the dog salivate, even when Pavlov did not have food for the dog.

Pavlov used four characteristics of classical conditioning for this experiment: Unconditioned stimulus (US), which naturally elicits a response, Unconditioned response (UR) which is a naturally occurring response, Conditioned stimulus (CS) which is an originally irrelevant stimulus, association with US that triggers CR, and Conditioned response (CR), which is a learned response. In this case, conditioning food (US) produces salivation (UR). The tone of the bell (neutral stimulus) does not. During conditioning, a neutral stimulus (bell) and the US (food) are paired resulting in salivation (UR). After conditioning neutral stimulus (now CS) elicits salivation (CR). 

There are other characteristics of classical conditioning such as acquisition, extinction, spontaneous recovery, generalization, and discrimination which can occur over time with this type of conditioning. Acquisition associates a neutral stimulus with the US. The neutral stimulus must come before an unconditioned stimulus. Extinction diminishes a conditioned response when the US no longer follows CS which will eventually lead the subject to quit responding. Spontaneous Recovery is the reappearance of an extinguished response after a break but will most likely become extinct again. Generalization is the tendency for similar stimuli to elicit similar responses. Pavlov conditioned salivation (CR) by using vibrations on high. Therefore, the dog responded strongest to high stimulation, but also to stimulation near high. And finally, discrimination is the ability to distinguish between a conditioned stimulus and other stimuli such as bells with different tones: one bell gets a response, one does not. 

A personal experience I’ve had involving classical conditioning would be when I had to babysit my 2-year-old nephew for a week. Every time I would wake him up from his mid-morning nap, he would cry. One morning before I woke up him up, I decided to make a pot of coffee which would sound off a quick “ping” when the coffee was ready. After one week of brewing coffee before waking him up, I would hear him cry immediately after the “ping” sounded, even though I did not physically wake him up yet. In this situation, the unconditioned stimulus would be me waking my nephew up from his nap and the unconditioned response would be him crying. After associating the sound of a ready coffee pot to me waking him up immediately after, the “ping”, conditioned stimulus, would make him cry, which is the conditioned response even though I did not physically wake him up.

Classical Conditioning

We as humans  learn by making associations.  Our minds connect events that happen in a sequence.  Classical Conditioning is a process where a human or animal learns by associating stimuli.  In classical conditioning there is a US (unconditioned stimulus) NS (neutral stimulus) CS (conditioned stimulus) UC (unconditioned response) and CR (conditioned response.  For classical conditioning to occur, the neutral stimulus must come before the unconditioned response because it has to predict something happening.  Acquisition is associating a neutral stimulus with a unconditioned response.  An example of classical conditioning Pavlov’s Experiment which consisted of  training a dog to salivate to the sound of a bell (tone).  Extinction is diminishing of a conditioned response; this happens when the US no longer follows the CS.  Spontaneous recovery is the reappearance of a distinguished response after a break.  We can all relate to classical conditioning; I will give an example of how I personally relate.

All-Star Cheer competitions are very loud an noisy which can make someone anxious.  Always wearing your uniform when you feel this emotions make me associate the uniform with anxious feelings.  In the morning of the competition when I put on the uniform it would make me feel anxiety and have an accelerated heart rate.

US – loud noise at cheer competitions

US – accelerated heart rate and anxiety

CS – putting on my cheer uniform that morning

CR- accelerated heart rate and anxiety