Classical and Operant Conditioning
Classical and operant conditioning are two fundamental concepts in behavioral psychology that explain how learning occurs. Both were developed by influential psychologists and have distinct mechanisms, applications, and examples. A. Classical Conditioning Classical conditioning involves learning through association. A neutral stimulus becomes associated with an unconditioned stimulus to elicit a conditioned response. (Stimulus first before the response) Author: Ivan Pavlov, a Russian physiologist, is credited with discovering classical conditioning through his experiments with dogs. Key Components: Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS): A stimulus that naturally triggers a response (e.g., food causing salivation). Unconditioned Response (UCR): A natural reaction to the UCS (e.g., salivation in response to food). Conditioned Stimulus (CS): A previously neutral stimulus that, after association with the UCS, triggers a resp...