Classical & Operant
Conditioning
Dr. Dinesh Chhabra
Learning
Any relatively permanent change in behavior, produced by experience or practice.
Classical Conditioning
Ivan Pavlov (1897)
A basic form of learning in which
one stimulus comes to serve as a
signal for the occurrence of a
second stimulus.
During classical conditioning,
organisms acquire information
about the relations between
various stimuli.
Basic Principles Acquisition: process by which a
conditioned stimulus acquires the
ability to elicit a conditioned response
through repeated pairings.
Extinction: The process through which
a conditioned stimulus gradually loses
the ability to evoke conditioned
responses when it is no longer followed
by the unconditioned stimulus.
Reconditioning: The rapid recovery of
a conditioned response to a CS–UCS
pairing following extinction.
Spontaneous Recovery: Following
extinction, return of a conditioned
response upon reinstatement of CS–
UCS pairings.
Stimulus Generalization: The
tendency of stimuli similar to a
conditioned stimulus to evoke
conditioned responses.
Lewicki (1985) - experiment showing influence of stimulus generalization
Watson and Rayner observed that stimulus generalization
had occurred for Albert.
After conditioning, Albert feared not just the white rat, but
a wide variety of similar white objects as well. His fear
included other furry objects including Raynor's fur coat
and Watson wearing a Santa Claus beard.
Human beings can sometimes acquire strong fears,
termed phobias, through classical conditioning.
Stimulus Discrimination: The process
by which organisms learn to respond to
certain stimuli but not to others.
In consumer behavior, marketers use stimulus
discrimination to help consumers recognize their
products as distinct from similar products.
Pillsbury uses an icon/mascot so that it
can be easily identified from other
brands and so that customers cannot be
easily tricked into buying similar brands.
Examples of Classical Conditioning
Risk taking in business: For example, a manager took a big risk in
an investment and lost lots of money he will be more cautious in
taking even small risks next time.
Advertisements: In advertisements of a beauty products, female
models are used. In a similar way, advertisements of male products
use male models. These models are attractive in appearance.
Conditioned emotional responses: Perhaps the previous manager
made a habit of berating employees in his office; therefore, calling
employees to the office makes them upset or harder to deal with.
One way of handling this would be to avoid the stimulus, in this case The Humane Society is a tremendously
the room they associate with feeling bad. Hold meetings or successful charity that always includes
evaluations elsewhere. Another way to handle this would be to try to images of animals in its print and video
make them associate that room with good things. marketing.
Operant
Conditioning
A process through which organisms
learn to repeat behaviors that yield
positive outcomes or permit them to
avoid or escape from negative
outcomes.
Reinforcement
A reinforcer is anything which strengthen or increase the rate of
behavior.
Primary reinforcers include food when we are hungry, water when
we are thirsty, and sexual pleasure. Immediately rewarding stimuli.
Conditioned/secondary reinforcer- these acquire their capacity to
act as positive reinforcers through association with primary
reinforcers. Examples: money, status, grades, trophies, and praise
from others.
Stimulus event that functions as a positive reinforcer at one time or
in one context may have a different effect at another time or in
another place. For example, food may serve as a positive reinforcer
when you are hungry, but not when you are ill.
Shaping: A technique in which closer and closer
approximations of desired behavior are required
for the delivery of positive reinforcement.
Chaining: A procedure that establishes a
sequence of responses, which lead to a reward
following the final response in the chain.
The dual processes of shaping and chaining help
to explain the development of complex behavior.
Task Analysis: can be done to identify steps and
it can be as detailed as needed to help the
individual learn. Some individuals require more
detailed task analysis such as breaking down the
skill into very small steps.
Example: when working with a beginning
student, a skilled dance teacher or ski
instructor may use shaping techniques to
establish basic skills, such as performing a
basic step or standing on the skis without
falling down, by praising simple
accomplishments.
As training progresses, however, the student
may receive praise only when they
successfully completes an entire sequence
or chain of actions, such as skiing down a
small slope.
What can be an example of shaping and
chaining in organizations?
Thank You
Doubts / queries:
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