Classical and Operant Conditioning Case Study
Introduction
Learning is the act of changing an organism’s behavior in response to an experience. Associative learning is when an organism links two events that occur close in time. When an organism learns to make associations, it is being conditioned. There are two types of conditioning. Operant conditioning is when an organism associates an action and the consequence of that action. It results in the organism adapting its behavior to maximize rewards and minimize punishment (Skinner). On the other hand, classical conditioning is a type of learning where an organism associates a certain stimulus and the response to it with a different stimulus. A neutral stimulus is associated with an unconditioned response to an unconditioned stimulus (Pavlov).
In this experiment, the conventions of classical and operant conditioning will be applied to a seventeen-year old girl. The girl continually slouches and exhibits bad posture. Posture is important. Good posture correctly aligns the body so as to minimize strain throughout the body. Bad posture results in worn-down joints and pain. The girl is a dancer and violinist, and so good posture is very important for her. As the girl constantly maintains bad posture, stimuli that encourages the girl to have better posture will be recorded.
The first two days of the experiment were spent observing the girl’s behaviors, namely what environmental stimuli encouraged her to stop slouching and to determine whether she had been classically conditioned to have good or bad posture. The next three days involved operant conditioning to attempt to train the girl to no longer engage in poor posture.
This tested the hypothesis that rewarding good posture and punishing bad posture is an effective way to improve the girl’s posture.
Method
The experiment lasted for five days. Before the experiment was started, the participant chose a behavior that she wished to get rid of. She decided to try to maintain better posture.
On
Learning is the act of changing an organism’s behavior in response to an experience. Associative learning is when an organism links two events that occur close in time. When an organism learns to make associations, it is being conditioned. There are two types of conditioning. Operant conditioning is when an organism associates an action and the consequence of that action. It results in the organism adapting its behavior to maximize rewards and minimize punishment (Skinner). On the other hand, classical conditioning is a type of learning where an organism associates a certain stimulus and the response to it with a different stimulus. A neutral stimulus is associated with an unconditioned response to an unconditioned stimulus (Pavlov).
In this experiment, the conventions of classical and operant conditioning will be applied to a seventeen-year old girl. The girl continually slouches and exhibits bad posture. Posture is important. Good posture correctly aligns the body so as to minimize strain throughout the body. Bad posture results in worn-down joints and pain. The girl is a dancer and violinist, and so good posture is very important for her. As the girl constantly maintains bad posture, stimuli that encourages the girl to have better posture will be recorded.
The first two days of the experiment were spent observing the girl’s behaviors, namely what environmental stimuli encouraged her to stop slouching and to determine whether she had been classically conditioned to have good or bad posture. The next three days involved operant conditioning to attempt to train the girl to no longer engage in poor posture.
This tested the hypothesis that rewarding good posture and punishing bad posture is an effective way to improve the girl’s posture.
Method
The experiment lasted for five days. Before the experiment was started, the participant chose a behavior that she wished to get rid of. She decided to try to maintain better posture.
On
References: Myers, D. G. (2007). Psychology: Eighth Edition in Modules. New York, NY: Worth Publishers. Pavlov, I.P. (1927). Conditioned Reflexes. London: Oxford University Press. Skinner, B.F. (1938). The Behavior of Organisms: An Experimental Analysis. New York: Appleton-Century.