Introduction
The following are responses to questions on operant and respondent conditioning
Define operant and respondent conditioning
Operant conditioning; also called instrumental conditioning is one of the learning methods in which a behaviour is improved or modified by use of rewards and punishments. Through the learning method, an individual creates an association between a response and the underlying consequences. If for instance, a particular behaviour portrayed by an individual is reinforced by a positive reward (pleasant results), the action is likely to be repeated, and on the contrary, if punished (negative impact) or not reinforced, the response is expected to be discontinued by the subject (Grant, 1964).
Respondent conditioning, also known as classical conditioning is learning the process in which an individual (learner) associate or pair a particularly strong or active stimulus with another neutral stimulus which occurred previously. The response (R) is a stimulus (S) based because the incentives are the ones that trigger underlying involuntary reactions to happen. The stimuli are usually emanating from the surrounding while the responses are within the learner and are usually reflexive (Grant, 1964)
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
The similarities and differences between respondent and classical conditioning above
Operant conditioning and respondent conditioning are similar in the sense that in both, a learner associates behavior with events that occur in the surrounding. For instance, the rewards or punishment as in operant conditioning and the involuntary responses in respondent conditioning all come from the learner's immediate surroundings. However, there exist differences between the two learning process. For instance; the reactions in respondent conditioning are usually involuntarily occurring in a reflex manner while in operant conditioning, they are typically voluntary behaviors. While the stimuli are new or strange to the learner or animal in respondent conditioning, they are not in operant conditioning; instead, the actions are (Dallas, 2009).
Also, the order at which the stimuli and the response follow one another differ in the two learning processes. In respondent conditioning, the reflexive reactions come after the stimuli- the stimuli precede the answer while in operant conditioning, the behaviors usually come before consequences which may be in the form of rewards or punishments. Furthermore, relating or association of stimulus and behaviour usually occur in respondent conditioning regardless of the action. On the contrary, under operant conditioning, an act is only repeated if rewarded positively and entirely disappears if punished or reprimanded. Also, for respondent conditioning, the strength of the pairing is determined by the amount or the speed (rate) of response whereas for the operant conditioning, the depth is determined by the frequency at which the learner produces the behaviour. Finally, classical or respondent conditioning was first discovered and applied in 1900 by Ivan Pavlova Russian psychologist while operant conditioning can be traced back to B.F Skinner who coined it in 1938 (Dallas, 2009).
Two examples of operant conditioning
Class presentation by a student;
In most learning institutions, teachers or instructors test their learners' abilities through a class presentation during which a learner may be required to explain a concept. If after a student elaborately gives his or her performance, he or she is reprimanded, laughed at or scolded by the teacher and the fellow students, he or she will be discouraged and may not attempt the same presentation in future. However, if praised, rewarded or applauded, he or she will try the same in the future (Dallas 2009).
A non-performing employee;
A company general manager discovers that John- one of the senior human resource employee, reports to job late, postpones the assignment in favour of drinking in clubs. The company suffers a financial setback. If the boss approaches John in-front of the other employees, reprimand him, take from him some allowances and responsibilities, he will tend to change in the future (Grant 1964)
Two examples of the respondent or classical conditioning .
Crying of children while being immunized;
If in an immunization facility, the first child in the line cries upon being, injected, all the other children in the queue may start crying even before they are vaccinated- crying becomes a behaviour acquired through classical conditioning.
Group discussion;
If in a classroom, a teacher trains learners to participate actively and contribute in group discussion, the learners will be fear free and less anxious with the ability to address a mass.
References
Grant, David A (1964). Classical and operant conditioning. Categories of human learning pg. 1-31. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1016/B968-1-4832-3145-7.50006-6
Dalla, Christina. Tracey, j Shors (2009).
Hahn, Christopher (2013) The Differences and Similarities between Classical and Operant conditioning. GRIN Verlag.
