what is learning and clasical and oprent conditioning

1. Theories of Learning
Dr. Sushma Rathee
Assistant Clinical Psychologist , PGIMER, Chandigarh
Email: sushmaratheecp@gmail.com
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2. Definition of Learning
• “Learning is learning how to do something.
• A relatively permanent change in behavior (or behavior
tendency) that occurs as a result of a person’s interaction
with the environment.
Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior.
University of Tehran.

3. Theories of Learning
 Classical Conditioning.
 Operant Conditioning.
 Social Learning/Observational learning
 Insight
Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior.
University of Tehran.

4. Classical Conditioning
• Ivan Pavlov.
• Behavior is specific to physiological autonomic functions
• Animals become conditioned to specific stimuli to act a specific way
– Dogs salivate when they hear bell associated with food
– Running water and going to the bathroom

5. ELEMENTS OF CLASSICAL CONDITIONING
1. UNCONDITIONED STIMULUS: The term unconditioned means “unlearned.” This
is the stimulus that ordinarily leads to the reflex response.
2. UNCONDITIONED RESPONSE: The reflex response to the unconditioned stimulus
is called the unconditioned response (UCR) for much the same reason. It is
unlearned and occurs because of genetic “wiring” in the nervous system.
3. CONDITIONED STIMULUS: Pavlov determined that almost any kind of stimulus
could become associated with the unconditioned stimulus (UCS) if it is paired
with the UCS often enough. It also called a neutral stimulus (NS) because it had
no effect on UCR. The neutral stimulus can now be called a conditioned stimulus
(CS).
4. CONDITIONED RESPONSE The response that is given to the CS (conditioned
stimulus) is not usually quite as strong as the original unconditioned response
(UCR), but it is essentially the same response. However, because it comes as a
response to the conditioned stimulus (CS), it is called the conditioned response
(CR).

6. Pavlov formulated a few basic principles about the
process:
1. The CS must come before the UCS. If Pavlov sounded the metronome
just after he gave the dogs the food, they did not become conditioned
(Rescorla, 1988).
2. The CS and UCS must come very close together in time—Ideally, no
more than 5 seconds apart.
3. The neutral stimulus must be paired with the UCS several times,
often many times, before conditioning can take place.
4. The CS is usually some stimulus that is distinctive or stands out from
other competing stimuli. The metronome, for example, was a sound that
was not normally present in the laboratory and, therefore, distinct.

7. Basic concept in CC
Stimulus generalization: The tendency to respond to a stimulus that is only
similar to the original conditioned stimulus with the conditioned response.
Stimulus discrimination: Occurs when an organism learns to respond to
different stimuli in different ways.
Extinction: The disappearance or weakening of a learned response following
the removal or absence of the unconditioned stimulus (in classical
conditioning) or the removal of a reinforcer (in operant conditioning).
Spontaneous recovery: The reappearance of a learned response after
extinction has occurred.

9. • Higher-order conditioning: Occurs when a strong conditioned
stimulus is paired with a neutral stimulus, causing the neutral
stimulus to become a second conditioned stimulus.

10. OTHER CONDITIONED RESPONSES IN HUMANS
• Vicarious conditioning: Classical conditioning of a reflex response or
emotion by watching the reaction of another person.
• Conditioned taste aversion: development of a nausea or aversive response
to a particular taste because that taste was followed by a nausea reaction,
occurring after only one association.
• Conditioned emotional response (CER): Emotional response that has
become classically conditioned to occur to learned stimuli, such as a fear of
dogs or the emotional reaction that occurs when seeing an attractive person.

12. Operant Conditioning
• (B.F. Skinner)
– Voluntary behaviors that we have conscious control over
– Good behavior rewarded and bad behavior is disciplined
The heart of operant conditioning is the effect of consequences on
behavior.

13. Law of reinforcement and punishment
• Positive Reinforcement.
• Negative Reinforcement.
• Punishment.
• Extinction.
Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior.
University of Tehran.

14. Reinforcement
1. Positive Reinforcement increases behavior by the
addition of a desirable event when the behavior occurs.
• Praise
• Edibles
• Money
2. Negative Reinforcement increases behavior by the
removal of an aversive event when the behavior occurs.
• Excuse from chores
• Escape from a crowd
• Stops pain
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15. Punishment
1. Positive Punishment decreases behavior by the addition
of an aversive event when the behavior occurs.
• Verbal reprimand
• Increased work
2. Negative Punishment decreases behavior by removing a
desirable event.
• Time out
• Removing Privileges, fines
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16. Schedules of Reinforcement
Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior.
University of Tehran.
Behaviors
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Continuous
Fixed ratio
Variable ratio
Fixed interval
Time (Days)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Variable interval

17. Types of Reinforcement and Punishment
Reinforcement Punishment
Positive =
Give
POSITIVE POSITIVE Punishment
Negative =
Remove
NEGATIVE
(ESCAPE)
NEGATIVE
Punishment

18. Negative Reinforcement vs.
Punishment
1. Negative reinforcement increases behavior by the
removal of a negative experience
2. Punishment always decreases behavior
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19. Reinforcers
1. Tangibles: food, drink
2. Favorite activities: visiting family, watching
TV, dancing, listening to music, singing.
3. Attention: positive/negative verbals,
physical contact.
4. Social reinforcers: praise, positive feedback.
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20. Types of Reinforcers
1. A Primary Reinforcer has an intrinsic
reinforcing value; e.g. food, drink
2. A conditioned reinforcer originally has no
reinforcing value, but became a reinforcer
after being paired with a primary reinforcer;
e.g., money, token, sticker
3. A back up reinforcer is paired with a
conditioned reinforcer to make it effective.
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21. :
OPERANT CONDITIONING:
• End result is an increase in the
rate of an already occurring.
• Responses are voluntary,
emitted by the organism.
• Consequences are important in
forming an association.
• Reinforcement should be
immediate.
• An expectancy develops for
reinforcement to follow a
correct response.
CLASSICAL CONDITIONING
• End result is the creation of a new
response to a stimulus that did not
normally produce that response.
• Responses are involuntary and
reflexive, elicited by a stimulus.
• Antecedent stimuli are important in
forming an association.
• CS must occur immediately before
the UCS.
• An expectancy develops for
reinforcement to follow.