A Study On Classical Conditioning Psychology Essay

A Study On Classical Conditioning Psychology Essay In classical conditioning, an unconditioned stimulus (something that will always lead to a reaction of some type) leads to an unconditioned response (a natural reaction to the UCS). A neutral stimulus (NS) becomes paired with an unconditioned stimulus (UCS). This is also called the Pavlovian conditioning because Ivan Pavlov discovered classical conditioning in an experiment involving dogs. Eventually, the pairing of the NS and the UCS leads to an UCR. The conditioned stimulus (CS), which used to be the NS, will be associated with a response (CR). The CS really has no connection to the response but through the conditioning, the subject learns to associate their conditioned response with the CS. Classical conditioning is a form of learning in which the subject begins to associate a behavior with a certain stimuli. This paper discusses classical and operant conditioning, rephrasing what they are, and explaining them with real-life examples. Classical and operant conditioning are differ ent methods of learning. The two methods have the word conditioning in common. What is conditioning? Conditioning is the acquisition of specific patterns of behavior in the presence of well-defined stimuli. Both classical and operant conditioning are basic forms of learning. Classical conditioning is a type of learning in which an organism learns to transfer a natural response from one stimulus to another, previously neutral stimulus. This is done by manipulating reflexes. Operant conditioning is a type of learning in which the likelihood of a behavior is increased or decreased by the use of reinforcement or punishment. Operant conditioning deals with more cognitive thought process. These two forms of learning have similarities and differences. Their similarities are that they both produce basic phenomena. One such phenomenon is acquisition. Both types of conditioning result in the inheritance of a behavior. One of the most famous of experiments that illustrates classical conditioni ng is Pavlov’s Dogs. In this experiment, Pavlov sat behind a one-way mirror and controlled the presentation of a bell. The bell was the conditioned stimulus. A conditioned stimulus was an originally neutral stimulus that could eventually produce a desired response when presented alone. Directly after the ringing of the bell, Pavlov gave the dog food. The food was the unconditioned stimulus. This means that the food caused an uncontrollable response whenever it was presented alone. That response would be the salivation of the dog. A tube that was in the dog’s mouth then measured the saliva. When the unconditioned stimulus (US) was paired with a conditioned stimulus (CS), it eventually resulted in a conditioned response. Extinction results if there is a decrease in frequency or strength of a learned response due to the failure to continue to pair the US and the CS. Extinction can also occur in operant conditioning. The key to operant conditioning is reinforcement. Reinfo rcement is when a stimulus is presented that increases the probability that the preceding response will recur in the future. If reinforcement is withheld, extinction will occur in operant conditioning. Another factor that is involved in conditioning is spontaneous recovery. That is the reappearance of an extinguished response after the passage of time, without further training. If Pavlov’s dogs did not hear the bell for a few years, and if when they heard it later they drooled, it would be an example of spontaneous recovery. Something similar occurs with operant conditioning. If an animal was conditioned to behave in a certain manor, but then their reinforcement was stopped, that animal may still have a reaction to the stimulus at a much later date. Organisms that are being conditioned through operant or classical conditioning can go through something that is known as stimulus generalization. This is when there is a transfer of a learned response to different but similar stim uli. An example would be if one of Pavlov’s dogs salivated to the sound of a bell that was different from the one that they were originally conditioned with. Stimulus discrimination is another phenomena that occurs with classical and operant conditioning. Discrimination is when an organism learns to respond to only one stimulus and inhibit the response to all other stimuli. It is the reverse of generalization. If an organism hears many different sounds, but is only given reinforcement for responding to only one of the sounds, it learns to discriminate between the sounds. Some of the differences between operant and classical conditioning lie in the extent to which reinforcement depends on the behavior of the learner. In classical conditioning, the learner is automatically reinforced. That is how it learns to respond to a once neutral stimulus. In operant conditioning, the learner must provide a correct response in order to received the reinforcement. Another difference between the two forms of conditioning is the type of behavior to which each method applies. Classical conditioning applies to a behavior that is always wanted. It was Pavlov’s purpose to have the dogs salivate on command. In operant conditioning, a behavior can be learned or extinguished. If you wanted to train a dog not to do something, you would use a form of punishment. Classical and operant conditioning are similar, but they do differ in a few ways. Both are fairly reliable ways to teach an organism to act in a specific manor.

Child Developmental theories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Child Developmental theories - Essay Example Three of the theories can help direct the physical and occupational therapy on children include Sigmund Freud and Erik Erikson’s psychoanalytic child development theories and Jean Piaget To begin with, the application of Freud’s psychoanalytic theory in physical and occupational theory can be of great value in the sense that emphasizes the importance of childhood experiences and events on development. Unlike other theorists, Freud focused mainly on the mental disorders, as opposed to normal functioning in child development. In his theory, Freud described child development in a series of psychosexual stages. The stages, according to Freud include oral, anal, phallic, latency and genital. In this regard, Freud noted that each of the stages require the satisfaction of a libidinal needs which can also play an important role during adulthood. Freud also found out that it is not easy for a child to complete each of the stages successfully and noted that a child would develop a fixation that would later impact adult personality and behavior. Therefore, understanding this theory might help physical and occupational therapists in applying effective therapies on childr en by taking regard their developmental stages and patterns. Another developmental theory that can be of value to therapists is Erik Erickson’s emotional psychological development theory. This theory was build upon Freud’s earlier works. Erickson identified eight important stages in a child’s development. According to Erickson, each of these stages is marred by a conflict that must be resolved in order for a child to develop emotionally and socially. In addition, he noted that each stage has both negative and positive outcome, though people tend to be at either ends of the spectrum. Erickson also noted that the failure of success in dealing with the crisis in each of the stages

Ethics Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Ethics Report - Essay Example Correspondingly, this paper entails the conduct of interview with a management trainee belonging to Commonwealth Bank and a Human Resource manager of Bank of America Corporation in order to understand the impact of code of conducts on their behavior and career development. Introduction In the current business environment, it can be viewed that most of the leading companies throughout the globe are widely embracing the functions relating to human resource (HR). The HR managers or the HR professionals performing various sorts of HR functions are often considered to be planned change agents, proven leaders and trusted member within a particular organization. It can be admitted that HR functions over the years have dramatically changed from transactional towards more strategic due to changing business environment. At the same time, it can be firmly argued that without skillful abilities, it is quite hard for HR managers to perform various roles and HR functions efficiently (Rocca & Morro w, 2008). Correspondingly, two professions have been identified for the research purpose that includes a HR management trainee from Commonwealth Bank and a HR manager from Bank of America Corporation. ... Similarly, The Bank of America Corporation is an American based multinational financial service provider which is regarded as the second largest banking company in the US in terms of assets. The bank is committed to provide valuable service to its customers through delivering various financial and non-financial services such as employment, lending and investing. The interview was conducted through e-mail conversation and thus questions have been framed duly prior to the interview. The interview questions were designed to address various relevant aspects associated with HR (Bank of America Corporation, 2013). The primary rationale of conducting the interview was to acquire considerable understanding about code of conducts and their impacts on the behavior of individuals during the course of career development. Interview Reflection The interviewees warmly responded to the first question (refer to Appendix) and asserted that while devising and enforcing professional/organizational code of conduct, various aspects are taken into concern. Accordingly, it was apparently observed that management support, consultation with staffs, explicitly defined terms and policies are crucial while devising the organizational policies. It was emphasized that the devised policies should be directed towards the welfare of the organizations and should be fair as well as free from any kind of biasness. It was also stressed that the policies devised should be regularly evaluated and monitored in order to ensure the efficiency of the policy enforced. Based on the interview, the management trainee of Commonwealth Bank emphasized the functions and the responsibilities to be the critical factors for ensuring smooth functioning of