Behaviourist Approach 2 - Behaviour Is Learned Through Conditioning Flashcards
What is classical conditioning?
New behaviours being learnt through association
What was Pavlov’s experiment?
Before conditioning, the food is an unconditioned stimulus and salivation is the unconditioned response.
During conditioning, a neutral stimulus, such as the sound of the bell is presented with the UCS and this is repeated several times.
After conditioning, the bell is now the conditioned stimulus which produces a new conditioned response - salivation
What is operant conditioning?
New behaviours are learnt through reinforcement and this can be both positive and negative.
What is Skinner’s box experiment?
The animal may accidentally perform an action that results in a pellet of food being released. As the behaviour has been rewarded, it is likely that the animal will repeat this behaviour again = positive reinforcement
The animal may be being shocked and accidently perform an action that results in the shocking being stopped. As the behaviour has meant that the animal has escaped something unpleasant, it is likely that the animal will repeat this behaviour = negative reinforcement.
If the animal receives an electric shock when pressing the lever instead of a food pellet, the animal will stop doing this behaviour. As the behaviour has been punished the animal is unlikely to repeat it - punishment.
