Psychological Approaches to Learning free essay sample

Before conditioning, the ringing of a bell does not bring about salivation—making the bell a neutral stimulus. In contrast, meat naturally brings about salivation, making the meat an unconditioned stimulus and salivation an unconditioned response. During conditioning, the bell is rung just before the presentation of the meat. Eventually, the ringing of the bell alone brings about salivation. We now can say that conditioning has been accomplished. The previously neutral stimulus of the bell is now considered a conditioned stimulus that brings about the conditioned response of salivation (Feldman, 2009 p. 79). †Also, the pattern and the timing of the presentation of the inconditioned stimulus and the conditioned stimulus are important. Reserch has shown that classical conditioning is most effective if the neutral stimulus preceds the unconditioned stimulus by at least a half a second to no more then several seconds (Feldman, 2009). Other psychologist like John Watson (1928), have produced theories through the practice of classic conditioning. We will write a custom essay sample on Psychological Approaches to Learning or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Watson’s proposed theory called the law of recency that states the more recently a response has occurred to a particular stimulus the more likely it will happen again.Consider Pavlov’s experiment with the dogs, as the dogs salivated at the sound of the bell in expectations of food during the experiment does not mean that they salivated to the sound of a bell years after the experiment stopped. Another theory proposed by Watson is the law of frequency. The law of frequency states that the more often a response occurs to a particular stimulus the stronger an association is built between them and thus the more likely the paring of that stimulus and response will occur again (Witt Mossler, 2010 p. 28). Operant conditioning is another form of conditioning widly used by behavior psychologist.Operant conditioning is considered the basis for many of the most important kinds of human and animal behavior (Feldman, 2009 p. 185). Operant conditioning is defined as learning in which a voluntary reponse is stengthened or weakened, depending on its favorable or unfavorble consequence (Feldmen, 2009 p. 185). Where as classical conditioning refers to behaviors being natural biological responses to the presents of stimuli, operant conditioning refers to voluntary responses in which we perform deliberatly to produce a desired outcome (Feldman, 2009 p. 185).One of the fathers of operant conditioning is Edward Thondike (1932) and his law of effect which states, responses that lead to satifying consquences are more likely to be repeated (Feldmen, 2009 p. 185). Thorndike also belived that the laws of effect operated automatically, like the changing of summer to fall. â€Å"Edward Thorndike devised a puzzle box to study the process by which a cat learns to press a paddle to escape from the box and receive food. If you placed a hungry cat in a cage and then put a small piece of food outside the cage, just beyond the cat’s reach, chances are the cat would eagerly search for a way out of the cage. The cat might first claw at the sides or push against an opening. Suppose, though, you had rigged things so that the cat could escape by stepping on a small paddle that released the latch to the door of the cage. Eventually, as it moved around the cage, the cat would happen to step on the paddle, the door would open, and the cat would eat the food (Feldmen, 2009 p. 186). † Thorndies’s research worked as the foundation for the 20th century’s most influential phychologist B. F. Skinner (1904-1990). Skinner produced what is known as the Skinner box in which he experimented using operant conditioning on rats.