Classical vs. Operant Conditioning Note (FREE)

 

 

              Made it easy to understand.

Classical Conditioning vs Operant Conditioning

Animals and people learn in two big ways: by pairing things together (classical conditioning) and seeing what happens after they do something (operant conditioning).

 

 

Proponents:

Classical Conditioning

·        Ivan Pavlov (1849–1936): Russian physiologist who discovered classical conditioning through experiments with dogs salivating at a bell paired with food.

·        John B. Watson (1878–1958): American psychologist who applied Pavlov’s ideas to humans, famous for the “Little Albert” experiment showing fear conditioning in a child.

Operant Conditioning

·        Edward L. Thorndike (1874–1949): American psychologist who proposed the Law of Effect—behaviors followed by satisfying results are more likely to recur.

·        B. F. Skinner (1904–1990): American behaviorist who built on Thorndike’s work, invented the “Skinner Box,” and identified reinforcement schedules that shape voluntary behaviors

1. Classical Conditioning (Learning by Pairing)

What It Means:
You notice two things happen together so much that one thing alone makes you expect the other.

Stages of Classical Conditioning

1.      Before Learning

o   Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS): Something you already react to without thinking (like yummy ice cream makes you smile).

o   Unconditioned Response (UCR): Your natural reaction (smiling at ice cream).

o   Neutral Stimulus (NS): Something that doesn’t make you react yet (like hearing a bell).

2.     Example:
– You smell cookies (UCS) ⟶ your mouth waters (UCR).
– A bell rings (NS) ⟶ nothing happens yet.

3.      During Learning

o   You hear the bell just before you smell cookies, over and over.

o   The bell starts to make your mouth water even before you smell cookies.

4.     Example:
– Bell rings (NS) + smell of cookies (UCS) ⟶ mouth waters (UCR).

5.      After Learning

o   The bell becomes a Conditioned Stimulus (CS) because it now makes you react.

o   Your mouth waters at the bell alone—this is the Conditioned Response (CR).

6.     Example:
– Bell rings alone (CS) ⟶ mouth waters (CR).

2. Operant Conditioning (Learning by Consequences)

What It Means:
You learn what to do (or what not to do) by what happens right after you act. Good things make you do it more; bad things make you do it less.

Four Kinds of Consequences

Consequence	What Happens to Behavior	Kid-Friendly Example
Positive Reinforcement	Behavior happens more often	You clean your room (action) ⟶ get a sticker (good thing) ⟶ you clean more.
Negative Reinforcement	Behavior happens more often	You buckle seatbelt (action) ⟶ annoying beep stops (bad thing removed) ⟶ you buckle faster.
Positive Punishment	Behavior happens less often	You write on wall (action) ⟶ lose TV time (unpleasant) ⟶ you stop writing on walls.
Negative Punishment	Behavior happens less often	You forget homework (action) ⟶ teacher takes away recess (good thing removed) ⟶ you remember homework next time.

 

·        Reinforcement (positive or negative) increases how often you do something.

·        Punishment (positive or negative) decreases how often you do something.

 

3. Simple Examples Side-by-Side

Learning Type	How It Works	Example
Classical Conditioning	You pair something new with something you already like or dislike.	Play a fun tune (bell) every time you eat tasty pizza. Soon the tune alone makes you hungry!
Operant Conditioning	You learn from what happens after you act.	Help carry groceries (good act) ⟶ earn extra dessert (reward) ⟶ you help more next time.

 

Think about this:

·        Think of games you play: If you always hear a whistle before snack time, the whistle makes you think “snack!” That’s classical conditioning.

·        Think of chores and rewards: When doing homework gives you screen time, you’ll want to do homework—that’s operant conditioning.

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