USING CLASSICAL VS OPERANT CONDITIONING
What procedure (choose either classical or operant conditioning) is being described or has probably resulted in the following behavior patterns? Be able to explain why you chose the model you did.
1. In order to be able to punish my cat even when I'm not near enough to reach him, I have paired the sound of a clicker with getting squirted with water. Now the sound of the clicker causes him to startle.
· The click is developing the same aversive properties as the water through Classical Conditioning. The Unconditioned stimulus is the water; the Unconditioned response is the "jump" as in startle. The click starts our as a neutral stimulus, but becomes the Conditioned stimulus capable of producing the Conditioned "jump" response.
2. My cat never gets on the furniture when I am around.
· The behavior being described here is probably the result of Operant conditioning. When I am around, the cat is probably punished for getting on the furniture. He has formed a discrimination between when I'm around and when I'm not and might be getting on the furniture when I'm not around.
3. When I first start teaching about a concept, I'll praise any answer that is close to the right answer.
· This describes the process of shaping the operant behavior of answering questions. In shaping you start by reinforcing anything that is close to the final response. Then you gradually require closer and closer approximations before giving a reinforcer. So this is an example of Operant conditioning.
4. The smell of fresh bread baking makes my mouth water.
· This is probably the result of Classical conditioning. In the past the smell of the fresh bread immediately preceded putting a piece in my mouth, which causes salivation. Through the mechanism of Classical conditioning the smell itself comes to elicit salivation.
5. In a weight management class, participants earn points for every healthy meal they eat and every period of exercise they complete. Later these points result in refunds of their class fees.
· The behaviors being conditioned here are healthy eating and regular exercise. The reinforcement is the refund of the fees. So this too is Operant conditioning. The points are a version of a token system since they are exchanged for the refunds later.
6. When my son has gone for a week without arguing with his sister, he gets to choose which favorite activity he wants to engage in on Friday night.
· Here I am using Premack reinforcement by letting my son engage in a favorite activity when he has been able to refrain from arguing for a week. This is an example of differential reinforcement of other behavior, anything other than arguing will be reinforced in this Operant conditioning paradigm.
7. After the bad car accident we had last year, I cringe and break into a sweat at the sound of squealing brakes.
· This is Classical conditioning. The cringing, which is an unconditioned response to pain or fear, was produced by the accident and its accompanying pain. That accident was probably preceded by the sound of squealing brakes, which became a conditioned stimulus for the conditioned response of cringing.
8. To treat alcoholics, we sometimes put a chemical in their drinks that makes them sick. Eventually the taste of alcohol become aversive.
· This is Classical conditioning. The chemical that makes the drinker sick is being paired with the taste of alcohol so that the alcohol itself becomes the conditioned stimulus for being sick.
Source: http://www.utexas.edu/courses/svinicki/ald320/CCOC.html
Classical and Operant Conditioning Examples
1. Every time someone flushes a toilet in the apartment building, the shower becomes very hot and causes the person to jump back. Over time, the person begins to jump back automatically after hearing the flush, before the water temperature changes.
2. Your father gives you a credit card at the end of your first year in college because you did so well. As a result, your grades continue to get better in your second year.
3. Your car has a red, flashing light that blinks annoyingly if you start the car without buckling the seat belt. You become less likely to start the car without buckling the seat belt.
4. You eat a new food and then get sick because of the flu. However, you develop a dislike for the food and feel nauseated whenever you smell it.
5. An individual receives frequent injections of drugs, which are administered in a small examination room at a clinic. The drug itself causes increased heart rate but after several trips to the clinic, simply being in a small room causes an increased heart rate.
6. A lion in a circus learns to stand up on a chair and jump through a hoop to receive a food treat.
7. A professor has a policy of exempting students from the final exam if they maintain perfect attendance during the quarter. His students’ attendance increases dramatically.
8. You check the coin return slot on a pay telephone and find a quarter. You find yourself checking other telephones over the next few days.
9. Your hands are cold so you put your gloves on. In the future, you are more likely to put gloves on when it’s cold.
Source: http://www.ar.cc.mn.us/biederman/courses/p1110/conditioning2.htm
Example Number 1
Every time someone flushes a toilet in the apartment building, the shower becomes very hot and causes the person to jump back. Over time, the person begins to jump back automatically after hearing the flush, before the water temperature changes.
This example is classical conditioning because jumping away from hot water is an automatic response.
· The hot water is the UCS
· The jumping back is the UCR
· The toilet flush is the CS
· The jumping back to the flush alone is the CR
Example Number 2
Your father gives you a credit card at the end of your first year in college because you did so well. As a result, your grades continue to get better in your second year.
This example is operant conditioning because school performance is a voluntary behavior.
· The credit card is a positive reinforcement because it is given and it increases the behavior.
Example Number 3
Your car has a red, flashing light that blinks annoyingly if you start the car without buckling the seat belt. You become less likely to start the car without buckling the seat belt.
This example is operant conditioning because buckling a seat belt is voluntary.
· The flashing light is a positive punishment.
· The consequence is given .
· The behavior of not buckling the seat belt decreases.
Example Number 4
You eat a new food and then get sick because of the flu. However, you develop a dislike for the food and feel nauseated whenever you smell it.
This example is classical conditioning because nausea is an automatic response.
· The flu sickness is the UCS.
· The nausea is the UCR.
· The new food is the CS.
· The nausea to the new food is the CR.
Example Number 5
An individual receives frequent injections of drugs, which are administered in a small examination room at a clinic. The drug itself causes increased heart rate but after several trips to the clinic, simply being in a small room causes an increased heart rate.
This example is classical conditioning because the increased heart rate is an automatic response.
· The drug is the UCS.
· The accelerated heart rate is the UCR.
· The small room is the CS.
· The accelerated heart rate to the room is the CR.
Example Number 6
A lion in a circus learns to stand up on a chair and jump through a hoop to receive a food treat.
This example is operant conditioning because standing on a chair and jumping through a hoop are voluntary behaviors.
· The food treat is a positive reinforcement because it is given and it increases the behavior
Example Number 7
A professor has a policy of exempting students from the final exam if they maintain perfect attendance during the quarter. His students’ attendance increases dramatically.
This example is operant conditioning because attendance is a voluntary behavior.
· The exemption from the final exam is a negative reinforcement because something is taken away that increases the behavior (attendance).
Example Number 8
You check the coin return slot on a pay telephone and find a quarter. You find yourself checking other telephones over the next few days.
This is an example of operant conditioning because checking the coin return slot is a voluntary behavior.
· The quarter would be a positive reinforcement because it was given and led to an increase in the behavior.
Example Number 9
Your hands are cold so you put your gloves on. In the future, you are more likely to put gloves on when it’s cold.
This is an example of operant conditioning because putting gloves on is a voluntary behavior.
· The consequence is a negative reinforcement because the coldness is taken away and the behavior of putting on gloves increases.