Classical and Operant Conditioning

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Discuss how the principals of classical and operant conditioning may be applied to human behaviour. The purpose of this academic essay is to describe and explain the principles of classical and operant conditioning and how it can be applied to human behavior. First we must know the principles of operant and classical conditioning. While these two conditioning techniques share some similarities, it is important to understand the differences between them. One of the major differences involves the types of behaviours that are conditioned. While classical conditioning is centred on involuntary, automatic behaviours, operant conditioning is focused on voluntary behaviours. It is important we view each conditioning technique in greater detail to gain a complete understanding of it. The first conditioning type we are to analyse is classical conditioning. Classical conditioning is a theory of learning founded by Ivan Pavlov, It is a way of learning through past association, he accidentally stumbled upon this theory as he was studying the digestive system of the dog and then applied it to human psychology. It involves an unconditioned stimulus and an unconditioned response. He tested his theory with a dog, food being the stimulant (UCS) and salivation being the response (UCR) and a bell as a neutral entity to which there was no response until combined with the food. The final test in the his theory is to reintroduce the the bell without food (UCS) and which this time causes the salivation (UCR). This reveals the dogs mind is remembering the past association with the bell and the food. Classical conditioning is reflexive, automatic behaviour, where the stimulus comes before. A common occurrence of classical conditioning in human behaviour would be the study and treatment of phobias many individuals would have, persistent fears or anxieties of an object or situation.

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