According to the course text, learning is defined as a “relatively permanent change in behavior that is brought about by experience” (Feldman, 2015, p. 168).
According to the course text, learning
is defined as a “relatively permanent change in behavior that is brought
about by experience” (Feldman, 2015, p. 168). By following the
scientific process, psychologists have made great strides in
understanding how you learn. Pavlov’s seminal experiment introduced the
idea of classical conditioning-learning that occurs when you learn to
link two or more stimuli and anticipate events. Classical conditioning
paved the way for behaviorism.
Operant conditioning, like classical
conditioning, is another form of associative learning. Operant
conditioning is a type of learning in which behavior isencouraged if
followed by a reinforcer and decreased if followed by punishment.
Both
classical conditioning and operant conditioning occur every day, though
you are probably not used to examining how you learn in these technical
terms. For this week’s Discussion, you will have the opportunity to
practice your understanding by creating examples of classical
conditioning and operant conditioning “in real life.”
This week you
will be discussing the concepts of classical conditioning and operant
conditioning. Please choose if you would like to apply these learning
theories to humans or animals. Be sure that your thread subject line
identifies which topic you are posting about (e.g., “Human” or “Animal”)
Human:
Classical Conditioning
Post by Day 3 a response to the following:
Think
about someone with a specific fear or phobia. Explain how classical
conditioning can explain how the fear or phobia developed. Give an
example and explain your answer. Include a description of the neutral
stimulus (NS), unconditioned stimulus (UCS), conditioned stimulus (CS),
unconditioned response (UCR), and conditioned response (CR) in relation
to your example.
AND
Operant Conditioning
Post by Day 3 a response to the following:
Imagine
you are a supervisor at work. How can you use operant conditioning to
change an employee’s attendance, customer service, or other behavior?
Include
a description of how you would use either positive or negative
reinforcement to increase the frequency of a desirable behavior. Also,
include a description of how you would use punishment to decrease the
frequency of an undesirable behavior.
Animal Training
Do you own a pet? Call to mind some of your pet’s behaviors or desired behaviors.
Classical Conditioning
Post by Day 3 a response to the following:
Explain
how classical conditioning could explain an association your pet has
learned. (e.g., The sound of a can opener associated with a meal.)
Describe your example and include a description of the neutral stimulus
(NS), the unconditioned stimulus (UCS), conditioned stimulus (CS),
unconditioned response (UCR), and conditioned response (CR) in relation
to your example.
AND
Operant Conditioning
Post by Day 3 a response to the following:
Explain
how operant conditioning could be used to teach your pet a trick or
change your pet’s behavior. Include a description of how you would use
either positive or negative reinforcement to increase the frequency of a
desirable behavior. Also, include a description of how you would use
punishment to decrease the frequency of an undesirable behavior.
Response Instructions:
Support
your reply to a colleagues’ assignment post with at least one reference
(textbook or other scholarly, empirical resources). You may state your
opinion and/or provide personal examples; however, you must also back up
your assertions with evidence (including in-text citations) from the
source and provide a reference.
Respond by Day 5 in one or more of the following ways:
Ask a probing question and provide insight into how you would answer your question and why.
Ask a probing question and provide the foundation, or rationale, for the question.
Expand on your colleague’s posting by offering a new perspective or insight.
Agree with a colleague and offer additional (new) supporting information for consideration.
Disagree with a colleague by respectfully discussing and supporting a different perspective.
Refer to the Discussion Rubric, located in the Course Information area, for details on how this discussion will be graded.
Note:
You are required to complete your initial post before you will be able
to view and respond to your colleague’s postings. After clicking on the
“Post to Discussion Question” link, select “Create Thread” to create
your initial post.