ATAR Notes: Forum

VCE Stuff => VCE Science => VCE Mathematics/Science/Technology => VCE Subjects + Help => VCE Psychology => Topic started by: Chromeo33 on August 30, 2010, 09:41:54 pm

Title: Difference between OPERANT and CLASSICAL conditioning?
Post by: Chromeo33 on August 30, 2010, 09:41:54 pm

I just dont get how they differ :(

Title: Re: Difference between OPERANT and CLASSICAL conditioning?
Post by: vexx on August 30, 2010, 09:50:50 pm

Classical conditioning is about associating a stimulus that has a certain response to some other stimulus so that it produces a similar response to the original one.
Operant conditioning is about changing behaviours through rewards/reinforcements and punishments, and associating that way.
Pretty much.. check out my notes in the forum (posted below) for a summary that clearly outlines the difference for learning.

http://vcenotes.com/forum/index.php/topic,27058.0.html

Title: Re: Difference between OPERANT and CLASSICAL conditioning?
Post by: Chromeo33 on August 30, 2010, 10:08:00 pm

Thanks mate
COuld you say that they differ in when the stimuli/reward is presented to the learner (i.e. either before or after the learner's behaviour)?

Title: Re: Difference between OPERANT and CLASSICAL conditioning?
Post by: Spreadbury on August 30, 2010, 10:44:11 pm

they are completely different forms of conditioning.

classical conditioning associates two different stimuli (as vexx said) to have a previously neutral stimulus produce a response that is normally produced by another stimulus that would produce the response automatically. to associate the stimuli the CS (initially neutral stimulus) should occur around half a second before the UCS (stimulus that automatically produces said response)

operant conditioning focusses on the consequences of behaviours and as a result, reinforcement or punishment is given after the desired response is been made. operant conditioning makes use of reinforcement or punishment (be careful about how you use 'reward' because a reward is not necessarily a reinforcer) to increase or decrease the likelihood of a particular response reoccuring

classical conditioning: presented immediately before
operant conditioning: presented immediately after (can be presented with delay)

Title: Re: Difference between OPERANT and CLASSICAL conditioning?
Post by: Chromeo33 on August 31, 2010, 09:26:10 pm

Ahhk
So they differ in when the 'adjustment', so to say, is presented
That is:
CC=Before
OC=After

and where classical conditioning is based on making associations with behaviour, operant conditioning is based on consequences of behaviour.

Sweet, yeh thanks people I get it now :)