The four terms are: learning, behaviorism, classical conditioning, and operant conditioning.
Learning
Learning is the process of modifying behavior or knowledge based on experiences. Learning is a continuous process that enables organisms to adapt to the environment. Spielman (2014) differentiates learning from reflexes and instincts, in that learning is about acquiring new skills and knowledge instead of using innate behaviors to adapt to the environment as in the case of instincts and reflexes.
Learning is a complex process which entails conscious and unconscious processes. Human minds have the tendency to connect events to enable unconscious forms of learning. Organisms engage in learning for survival and to fit well into the surroundings. A big part of learning in both humans and animals come from observational learning, children learn from their parents or from their siblings. For instance, young girls learn a lot from their mothers or sisters, which explains why even young girls tend to be aware of the socially constructed gender roles. Girls tend to imitate their mothers, while boys tend to imitate their fathers because they observe the similarities between them.
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The outcome of learning in organisms is seen in a healthy relationship with other organisms and the environment. Learning enables organisms to constantly adjust behavior through acquisition of more knowledge so that they deal with challenges in the external better.
Behaviorism
Behaviorism is a concept that emphasizes on the role of the external environment to influence human behavior. Behaviorism was founded by Jean Watson, and it is a contrast to Freud’s theory that behaviors are influenced by hidden and unconscious self (Spielman, 2014). Watson argues that human behavior can be understood on a simple stimulus-response reaction, and the internal processes should be disregarded. Behaviorism developed as an attempt to make psychology a legitimate science by shifting the focus to external processes that can be measured.
Jean Watson worked with a baby called little Albert to conduct experiments on behaviorism (Spielman, 2014). Watson exposed Little Albert to a neutral stimulus, particularly a rat, a donkey, a dog and a monkey. Little Albert was not afraid of those things. Then Watson conditioned the baby to associate the stimuli with fear, such that he presented little Albert with the rat followed by a loud sound of a hammer against a metal bar every time Little Albert touched the rat. Eventually, Little Albert associated the rat and some other furry thing with a scary loud sound, and was afraid of all furry things including a Santa Claus mask.
Behaviorism shows that phobias in human beings are not caused by deep hidden conflicts that they are not aware of, rather they are caused unfavorable interaction with stimuli in the external environment and conditioning. Behaviorism can be used to explain why different genders act the way they do, for instance, women are generally afraid of the dark because they associate it with danger.
Classical Conditioning
Classical conditioning falls under behaviorism, it refers to the process of learning a new behavior through association. The stimuli are paired together to produce a different response in an individual. Classical conditioning was developed by Ivan Pavlov, a physiologist who was studying the digestive system in dogs. Classical conditioning is an interesting approach of explaining human behavior. The outcome of classical conditioning is the creation of the desired behavior through the introduction of a new stimulus to modify one’s reaction.
The three stages of classical conditioning include: before conditioning, during conditioning and after conditioning (Spielman, 2014). Before conditioning, the unconditioned stimulus (UCS) is associated with an unconditioned response. Since Pavlov experimented with dogs, the meat powder was the unconditioned stimulus which made the dogs to salivate (unconditioned response). Pavlov introduced another stimulus, a ringing bell and then presented the dogs with the meat powder. In the end, the dogs associated the new stimulus with food, and once they had the sound of the bell they would start salivating.
Gender roles can also be explained using classical conditioning. When a child sees a parent of the his/her own gender dressing or behaving in a certain way, there is some form of association that leads to the adoption of gender roles. Through association, children learn to associate things like men and football, and grow up thinking that football is a manly activity.
Operant Conditioning
Operant conditioning is a different approach to behaviorism meant to address the challenges in the classical conditioning approach. B.F. Skinner came up with operant conditioning to refer to the process of changing behavior through the use of reinforcement to produce the desired response. In operant conditioning, the organism learns to associate behavior with the consequence, if the consequence is good the organism will repeat the behavior.
B.F. Skinner conducted experiments on rats using chamber called a “Skinner box.”The box contained a lever that the animal could press for a food reward through the dispenser. When the rat pressed the level and was rewarded with food, the rat would continue pressing the lever. In another incident, B.F. Skinner replaced the food reward with electric shock, such that the rat would be shocked whenever it pressed the lever, so the rat avoided the lever.
Operant conditioning has an effect on gender and gender roles, parents are known to scold their children for doing things that should not be done by individuals within the specific gender. Children learn gender specific behavior when their behavior is positively reinforced by their parents.
Reference
Spielman, R. (2014). Psychology . Openstax.
