conditioning
Summary
Conditioning is learning in which behavior changes through association or consequences. Classical conditioning links two stimuli; operant conditioning links a behavior to reinforcement or punishment. Most testable: reinforcement, including negative reinforcement, increases a behavior, while punishment decreases it.
Detail
Meaning: Conditioning is learning in which behavior changes through association. In classical conditioning (Pavlov), a neutral stimulus paired repeatedly with an unconditioned stimulus (UCS) becomes a conditioned stimulus (CS) that triggers a conditioned response (CR), which resembles the reflexive unconditioned response (UCR). In operant conditioning (Skinner), behavior is shaped by its consequences: reinforcement makes a behavior more likely, punishment makes it less likely. Positive means a stimulus is added; negative means one is removed.
On the MCAT: A passage describes an animal or person, and you label the UCS, CS, UCR and CR, or classify a consequence as positive or negative reinforcement or punishment. Expect acquisition, extinction, spontaneous recovery, generalization and discrimination. Reinforcement schedules are common: fixed-ratio, variable-ratio, fixed-interval and variable-interval. Variable-ratio schedules typically give high, steady responding and the greatest resistance to extinction.
Common confusion: Negative reinforcement is not punishment. Removing an unpleasant stimulus so that a behavior increases (fastening a seatbelt to stop a beeping alarm) is negative reinforcement; any consequence that decreases a behavior is punishment. Also, before pairing the CS is neutral and the CR is learned, whereas the UCR occurs without learning.
Sources
- Psychology (Myers)
- Psychology (Schacter, Gilbert, Wegner)
Written for the MCAT and checked before it was published. For study reference only. Spotted an error? Let us know.