Which of the following is the most accurate statement regarding the difference between classical and operant conditioning quizlet?

Classical and operant conditioning are both similar because they involve making association between behaviour and events in an organism’s environment and are governed by several general laws of association - for example, it is easier to associate stimuli that are similar to each other and that occur at similar times. However there are several important differences.

These include:

  • In CC, the response is a reflex and involuntary. In OC, the response is voluntary behaviour.
  • In CC, the stimulus is new to the animal. In OC, the behaviour is new to the animal.
  • In CC, the reflex (response) follows the stimulus. In OC, the behaviour (response) precedes the reward or punishment (stimulus).
  • In CC, association occurs whether the stimulus is pleasurable or aversive. In OC pleasurable reward leads to repetition while aversion leads to extinction.
  • In CC, strength of conditioning is measured by speed or amount of response. In OC, strength is measured by rate of production of behaviour.

Strengths of the Behaviourist Approach

Behaviourism provides simple, easily testable predictions about behaviour. For example, the effect of reinforcement on behaviour can be easily quantified.

Treatments based on classical or operant conditioning have been effective in treating some disorders. For example, systematic desensitisation can be used to treat Phobias (Wolpe, 1958).

Behaviourism played a key role in making psychology more scientific. For example, most researchers now accept that laboratory experiments with measurable variables are the best form of research.

Limitations of the Behaviourist Approach

Behaviourism’s assumption of a general process of learning does not account for biological predispositions. For example, it is easier to learn phobias of some objects than others (Seligman, 1971).

Behaviourism's assumption that learning takes place through gradual S-R association cannot explain how animals can learn without reinforcement. Tolman & Honzik (1930) showed that rats could learn maps of mazes without operant conditioning.

Behaviourism finds it difficult to explain how humans construct new solutions to problems. For example, children can generate the plural forms of nouns they have never encountered before and could not have learned (Berko, 1958).

The difference between classical and operant conditioning is the way in which a new behavior is acquired. Understanding these terms can help you with some important concepts in the field of psychology and seeing some examples of both will make their differences clear.

Which of the following is the most accurate statement regarding the difference between classical and operant conditioning quizlet?
difference classical and operant behavior dogs

What Is Classical Conditioning?

Classical conditioning is when a conditioned response is paired with a neutral stimulus. The most famous example of this is Pavlov’s dogs, where Ivan Pavlov trained dogs to salivate at the sound of a metronome. The metronome was a neutral stimulus, since the dogs previously had no reaction to it. Pavlov would use the metronome every time the dogs were fed, and the dogs began to associate the sound with food. Salivating was their conditioned response.

You can see real-world examples of classical conditioning in everything from your response to your cell phone to the way you react when you hear holiday music.

What Is Operant Conditioning?

In contrast to classical conditioning, operant conditioning involves encouraging or discouraging a specific behavior using reinforcement. While classical conditioning is training dogs to salivate to the sound of a metronome, operant conditioning is training them to sit by giving them a treat when they do.

B.F. Skinner proposed the theory of operant conditioning, and he used a simple experiment with a rat to develop the theory. In the experiment, a hungry rat is placed in a box. As the rat explores, it discovers a lever. When it pushes the lever, it gets food. Over time, the rat learns to push the lever to receive food.

Operant conditioning can involve positive reinforcement, such as giving a dog a treat or a rat getting food. It can also involve negative reinforcement, such as rewarding a dog for walking close to its owner by relaxing the unpleasant tension on the leash. Sometimes, operant conditioning involves punishment. In all examples of operant conditioning, a target behavior is reinforced using consequences.

Classical vs. Operant Conditioning: Key Differences

The main difference between classical and operant conditioning is the way the behavior is conditioned. In classical conditioning, a neutral stimulus is paired with a conditioned response.

In operant conditioning, a desired behavior is paired with a consequence.

Which Comes First?

In classical conditioning, a stimulus comes before the response. In operant conditioning, a behavior comes first and is then rewarded or punished.

What Is Paired?

In classical conditioning, a previously neutral stimulus is paired with an involuntary response. In operant conditioning, a behavior is paired with a consequence.

Is the Behavior Voluntary?

In classical conditioning, the response or behavior is involuntary, as in dogs salivating. In operant conditioning, the behavior is voluntary, as in dogs choosing to sit.

Quick Reference Guide to Differences Between Classical and Operant Conditioning

The following table shows some additional differences between the two types of conditioning:

Classical Conditioning

Operant Conditioning

Discovered by Pavlov

Discovered by Skinner

Connects an involuntary response to a neutral stimulus

Encourages or discourages a behavior by pairing it with a consequence

Stimulus comes first

Behavior comes first

Behavior is involuntary

Behavior is voluntary

Both Are Part of Behaviorism

Both classical and operant conditioning are important in the field of behavioral psychology. Examples of behaviorism include both kinds of conditioning, and it’s fascinating to learn about the way these concepts are applied.

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  • Operant Conditioning Examples

    Operant conditioning is a learning process whereby deliberate behaviors are reinforced through consequences. It differs from classical conditioning, also called respondent or Pavlovian conditioning, in which involuntary behaviors are triggered by external stimuli.

  • 10 Classical Conditioning Examples in Everyday Life

    Have you heard of Pavlov’s dogs? That’s the experiment conducted by Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov wherein his dogs started to salivate when he rang a bell. This is the best-known example of classical conditioning, when a neutral stimulus is paired with a conditioned response. Did you know there are many classical conditioning examples in everyday life, too? Let’s explore 10 of them.

Which statement describes the difference between classical conditioning and operant conditioning?

Classical conditioning involves associating an involuntary response and a stimulus, while operant conditioning is about associating a voluntary behavior and a consequence.

Which of the following is a difference between classical conditioning and operant conditioning quizlet?

What is the distinction between classical conditioning and operant conditioning? Classical conditioning involves learning based on associations, and operant conditioning involves learning based on consequences.