The difference between classical and operant conditioning - Peggy Andover

Summary

The script explores two key types of learning in psychology: classical conditioning and operant conditioning. Classical conditioning, discovered by Pavlov, involves associating neutral stimuli with unconditioned ones to elicit responses, as seen with dogs salivating at the sound of a bell. Operant conditioning, with its components of reinforcement and punishment, influences voluntary behavior. Examples include a child receiving a hug for helping with dishes and pigeons being trained to select art, demonstrating how operant conditioning shapes behavior in everyday life and unique scenarios.

Takeaways

• 📚 Learning in psychology is defined as a long-term change in behavior based on experience.
• 🐕 Classical conditioning is a type of learning where a neutral stimulus becomes associated with an unconditioned stimulus, resulting in a conditioned response.
• 🔔 Ivan Pavlov's experiments with dogs demonstrated classical conditioning through the association of a bell with food, leading to salivation upon hearing the bell.
• 👨‍⚕️ Classical conditioning can also occur in humans, as illustrated by the example of associating reassuring words with a painful experience, leading to an unexpected reaction.
• 🔧 Operant conditioning explains changes in voluntary behavior due to consequences, involving reinforcement and punishment.
• 🍰 Reinforcement in operant conditioning increases the likelihood of a behavior being repeated, and can be positive (adding a stimulus) or negative (removing a stimulus).
• 🚫 Punishment in operant conditioning decreases the likelihood of a behavior being repeated, also differentiated into positive (adding an aversive stimulus) and negative (removing a stimulus).
• 👩‍🍳 An example of operant conditioning is a child clearing the table and washing dishes, followed by positive reinforcement from a parent, encouraging the behavior.
• 🎨 Operant conditioning has been used in extraordinary ways, such as teaching pigeons to differentiate between paintings by Monet and Picasso using food as a positive reinforcer.
• 🧠 The script highlights the pervasive influence of operant conditioning in our daily lives and its potential for shaping behavior in various contexts.
• 🕊️ The concept of stimulus generalization is introduced, showing how pigeons chose Impressionist paintings over Cubist ones, indicating a learned preference.

Q & A

What does the term 'learning' mean in the context of psychology?

In psychology, learning refers to a long-term change in behavior that is based on experience.

What are the two main types of learning mentioned in the script?

The two main types of learning mentioned are classical conditioning and operant or instrumental conditioning.

Who is Ivan Pavlov, and what is his contribution to the study of learning?

Ivan Pavlov was a Russian physiologist who conducted famous experiments on dogs, leading to the discovery of classical conditioning.

How did Pavlov's dogs learn to associate the bell with food?

Pavlov's dogs learned to associate the bell with food by hearing the bell ring every time they were shown food, eventually salivating just at the sound of the bell.

What is an unconditioned stimulus and response in Pavlov's experiment?

In Pavlov's experiment, the unconditioned stimulus is the sight and smell of food, and the unconditioned response is the dog's salivation.

How does classical conditioning work with humans, as illustrated in the script with the doctor and dentist example?

Classical conditioning works with humans by associating a neutral stimulus, like the phrase 'This won't hurt a bit,' with an unconditioned stimulus, such as the pain of a shot, leading to a conditioned response of fear or avoidance.

What is operant conditioning, and how does it differ from classical conditioning?

Operant conditioning explains how consequences lead to changes in voluntary behavior, differing from classical conditioning which involves associating stimuli to elicit a response.

What are the two main components of operant conditioning?

The two main components of operant conditioning are reinforcement and punishment.

What is the difference between positive and negative reinforcement and punishment?

Positive reinforcement and punishment involve the addition or removal of a stimulus, respectively. Positive reinforcement adds something pleasant to increase a behavior, while negative reinforcement removes something unpleasant. Positive punishment adds something unpleasant to decrease a behavior, and negative punishment removes something pleasant.

Can you provide an example of operant conditioning from the script?

An example from the script is when a person clears the table and washes the dishes after dinner, and their mother gives them a hug and thanks them, which is positive reinforcement for the behavior.

How did scientists use operant conditioning to teach pigeons to select paintings?

Scientists used food as a positive reinforcer to teach pigeons to select paintings by Monet over those by Picasso, demonstrating the power of operant conditioning.

What is stimulus generalization, as observed in the pigeons' behavior when shown works of other artists?

Stimulus generalization is when a learned response to a particular stimulus is made to a similar but different stimulus. In the case of the pigeons, they chose Impressionist paintings over Cubist ones, showing generalization from their training with Monet's style.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Classical and Operant Conditioning Explained

This paragraph introduces the concept of learning in psychology, distinguishing it from the traditional classroom setting. It explains two primary types of learning: classical conditioning and operant conditioning. Classical conditioning is illustrated with Ivan Pavlov's experiments on dogs, where the dogs learned to associate the sound of a bell with food, leading to salivation upon hearing the bell alone. The paragraph further explores how this type of learning applies to humans, using the example of associating reassurances with painful experiences. Operant conditioning is then introduced, focusing on how reinforcement and punishment influence voluntary behavior, with examples of both positive and negative reinforcement provided.

Keywords

💡Learning

Learning in the context of psychology refers to a long-term change in behavior that is based on experience. It is central to the video's theme as it sets the stage for understanding the different types of learning discussed. The script uses the term to differentiate between common perceptions of learning in an educational setting and the psychological concept of learning through experience.

💡Classical Conditioning

Classical conditioning is a psychological concept where a neutral stimulus becomes associated with an unconditioned stimulus, leading to a conditioned response. It is a key theme in the video, illustrating how animals and humans can learn to associate stimuli. The script provides the example of Pavlov's experiments with dogs, where the sound of a bell (neutral stimulus) became associated with food (unconditioned stimulus), resulting in salivation (conditioned response).

💡Operant Conditioning

Operant conditioning is another type of learning that explains how voluntary behavior changes due to consequences. It is a main focus of the video, showing how reinforcement and punishment can shape behavior. The script uses the concept to discuss how behaviors can be increased or decreased through positive or negative reinforcements and punishments, with examples such as clearing the table and washing dishes leading to a hug as positive reinforcement.

💡Reinforcement

Reinforcement in operant conditioning is a process that increases the likelihood of a behavior occurring again. It is a fundamental concept in the video's discussion of learning. The script explains that reinforcement can be positive, by adding a stimulus, or negative, by removing one. An example given is getting dessert after eating vegetables, which increases the likelihood of finishing vegetables in the future.

💡Punishment

Punishment is the counterpart to reinforcement in operant conditioning, decreasing the likelihood of a behavior. It is crucial to the video's explanation of how behavior can be modified. The script clarifies that punishment can be positive, by adding an aversive stimulus, or negative, by removing a stimulus. It is used to deter behaviors, though the script does not provide a direct example.

💡Unconditioned Stimulus

An unconditioned stimulus is a stimulus that naturally triggers a response without prior learning. In the video, it is used to explain classical conditioning. The script defines it with the example of food causing a dog to salivate without any prior association, which then becomes the basis for pairing with a neutral stimulus to form a conditioned response.

💡Conditioned Stimulus

A conditioned stimulus is a previously neutral stimulus that, after being paired with an unconditioned stimulus, triggers a response. It is a key part of the classical conditioning process described in the video. The script illustrates this with the sound of a bell that, after being paired with food, begins to elicit salivation in dogs.

💡Conditioned Response

A conditioned response is the reaction that occurs as a result of classical conditioning. It is a central concept in the video's explanation of how learning occurs. The script uses the example of dogs salivating at the sound of a bell, which becomes a conditioned response after the bell is repeatedly paired with the presentation of food.

💡Stimulus Generalization

Stimulus generalization occurs when a learned response to a stimulus is made to a similar but different stimulus. It is mentioned in the video in the context of operant conditioning with pigeons. The script describes how pigeons, after being trained to select Monet's paintings, also chose other Impressionist works over Cubist ones when shown different artists' paintings, demonstrating generalization.

💡Positive Reinforcement

Positive reinforcement is a method of operant conditioning where a pleasant stimulus is added to increase the likelihood of a behavior. It is a key mechanism by which behaviors are encouraged. The script provides the example of a child receiving a hug after helping with dishes, which serves as a positive reinforcer, making the child more likely to help again.

💡Negative Reinforcement

Negative reinforcement involves the removal of an unpleasant stimulus to increase the likelihood of a behavior. It is a concept in operant conditioning that the video explains. The script gives the example of a student getting a night off from homework due to good exam performance, where the removal of homework serves as a negative reinforcer for studying hard.

Highlights

Learning in psychology is defined as a long-term change in behavior based on experience.

Classical conditioning and operant conditioning are the two main types of learning discussed.

Ivan Pavlov's experiments with dogs demonstrated the concept of classical conditioning.

Dogs learned to associate the sound of a bell with food, resulting in salivation.

Unconditioned stimulus and unconditioned response are terms used to describe natural reactions.

Conditioned stimulus and conditioned response are the result of learned associations.

Classical conditioning can also occur in humans, as illustrated by the doctor-patient example.

Operant conditioning explains changes in voluntary behavior through consequences.

Reinforcement and punishment are key components of operant conditioning.

Reinforcers increase the likelihood of a behavior being repeated, while punishers decrease it.

Positive reinforcement involves the addition of a stimulus, such as a reward.

Negative reinforcement involves the removal of a stimulus, like avoiding a task.

An example of operant conditioning is a child being rewarded for helping with chores.

Operant conditioning is prevalent in everyday life and influences many of our behaviors.

Pigeons were taught to select paintings by Monet over Picasso using operant conditioning.

Stimulus generalization was observed when pigeons chose Impressionists over Cubists.

The potential for operant conditioning to influence extraordinary behaviors is highlighted.

Transcripts

Translator: Andrea McDonough Reviewer: Bedirhan Cinar

When we think about learning,

we often picture students in a classroom or lecture hall,

books open on their desks,

listening intently to a teacher or professor

in the front of the room.

But in psychology, learning means something else.

To psychologists, learning is a long-term change in behavior

that's based on experience.

Two of the main types of learning are called

classical conditioning

and operant, or instrumental, conditioning.

Let's talk about classical conditioning first.

In the 1890's, a Russian physiologist named Ivan Pavlov

did some really famous experiments on dogs.

He showed dogs some food

and rang a bell at the same time.

After a while, the dogs would associate the bell with the food.

They would learn that when they heard the bell,

they would get fed.

Eventually, just ringing the bell

made the dogs salivate.

They learned to expect food at the sound of a bell.

You see, under normal conditions,

the sight and smell of food causes a dog to salivate.

We call the food an unconditioned stimulus,

and we call salivation the unconditioned response.

Nobody trains a dog to salivate over some steak.

However, when we pair an unconditioned stimulus like food

with something that was previously neutral,

like the sound of a bell,

that neutral stimulus becomes a conditioned stimulus.

And so classical conditioning was discovered.

We see how this works with animals,

but how does it work with humans?

In exactly the same way.

Let's say that one day you go to the doctor to get a shot.

She says, "Don't worry, this won't hurt a bit,"

and then gives you the most painful shot you've ever had.

A few weeks later you go to the dentist for a check-up.

He starts to put a mirror in your mouth

to examine your teeth,

and he says, "Don't worry, this won't hurt a bit."

Even though you know the mirror won't hurt,

you jump out of the chair and run,

screaming from the room.

When you went to get a shot,

the words, "This won't hurt a bit,"

became a conditioned stimulus

when they were paired with pain of the shot,

the unconditioned stimulus,

which was followed by your conditioned response

of getting the heck out of there.

Classical conditioning in action.

Operant conditioning explains how consequences

lead to changes in voluntary behavior.

So how does operant conditioning work?

There are two main components in operant conditioning:

reinforcement and punishment.

Reinforcers make it more likely

that you'll do something again,

while punishers make it less likely.

Reinforcement and punishment can be positive or negative,

but this doesn't mean good and bad.

Positive means the addition of a stimulus,

like getting dessert after you finish your veggies,

and negative means the removal of a stimulus,

like getting a night of no homework

because you did well on an exam.

Let's look at an example of operant conditioning.

After eating dinner with your family,

you clear the table and wash the dishes.

When you're done, your mom gives you a big hug

and says, "Thank you for helping me."

In this situation, your mom's response

is positive reinforcement if it makes you more likely

to repeat the operant response,

which is to clear the table and wash the dishes.

Operant conditioning is everywhere in our daily lives.

There aren't many things we do

that haven't been influenced at some point

by operant conditioning.

We even see operant conditioning

in some extraordinary situations.

One group of scientists showed the power

of operant conditioning

by teaching pigeons to be art connoisseurs.

Using food as a positive reinforcer,

scientists have taught pigeons

to select paintings by Monet

over those by Picasso.

When showed works of other artists,

scientists observed stimulus generalization

as the pigeons chose the Impressionists

over the Cubists.

Maybe next they'll condition the pigeons

to paint their own masterpieces.