Definitions 7-12 and Questions 2 and 3

Ivan Pavlov’s Experiment (outline, goals): to prove or disprove the theory that a neutral stimulus, when paired with an unconditioned reflex, would cause dogs to salivate

Findings of Pavlov’s Experiment (responses and stimulus): In the experiment, Pavlov created a conditioned stimulus by associating it with the natural reflex of salivation, causing the dogs to salivate when they heard the metronome.

Acquisition: the early stages of learning in which a conditioned response is established; In Pavlov’s experiment, this would be salivation when the dogs heard the metronome.

Provide an example of classical conditioning not found in your book: Someone can overcome his or her fears by pairing something scary with surrounding that are pleasant. For example, going to the dentist may be a fear for many people. However, this can be reversed with a relaxing environment, which would replace the fear.

Extinction: The point when the conditioned response decreases because an unconditioned stimulus is no longer paired with a conditioned stimulus; with Pavlov’s dogs, if the metronome was no longer introduced before the dogs were fed, the dogs would eventually stop salivating in response to the metronome.

Spontaneous Recovery: when the conditioned response begins to reoccur, which happens soon after a conditioned response and an unconditioned response are disassociated from each other

2. Explain Operant Conditioning using a scenario that you have created. Do not use the book lists. Try to explain this type of conditioning using something that is relevant to your life: school, home, or work could all be areas you can pull from.

Reinforcement and punishment in school are examples of operant conditioning in everyday life. Positive reinforcement for good behavior could be extra credit in class. Negative reinforcement would be taking away homework for good behavior. However, bad behavior might result in punishment involving either giving a student a detention or taking away certain privileges. All of these methods are used in the hopes that students will learn that their behavior is either good or bad, and that they will either increase or decrease it accordingly.

3. Compare Classical and Operant Conditioning. How are they the same? How are they different?

While both methods of conditioning are based on the behavioral perspective of psychology, classical conditioning deals with instinctive or reflexive responses and operant conditioning deals with learned responses. Classical conditioning occurs when an unconditioned stimulus, which causes reflexive responses, is directly associated with a neutral object, which becomes the conditioned stimulus. Operant conditioning is mainly about attempting to either increase or decrease the occurrences of a certain behavior. Through positive and negative reinforcement and punishment, the subject learns the desired behavior.