Classical conditioning and operant conditioning are two learning paradigms within the behaviorist tradition. A major difference between these two paradigms is that:
a. Classical conditioning deals almost exclusively with stimuli, whereas operant conditioning deals almost exclusively with responses.
b. Classical conditioning deals almost exclusively with responses, whereas operant conditioning deals almost exclusively with stimuli.
c. Classically conditioned responses are voluntary, whereas responses learned through operant conditioning are elicited by specific stimuli.
d. Classically conditioned responses are elicited by specific stimuli, whereas responses learned through operant conditioning are voluntary.
Question 2
Mr. Smart tells his students that they can do whatever they want for the first ten minutes of class but must then turn their attention to the day's assignment. The students are delighted with their ten minutes of free time but they don't attend to the assignment when it's time to do so. From an operant conditioning perspective, what mistake has Mr. Smart made?
a. There is a delay in reinforcement.
b. He has used negative reinforcement instead of positive reinforcement.
c. Free time is not an effective reinforcer for the students.
d. The reinforcer is presented before the response.
Brain scans showing the white-matter pathways involved in everyday learning:
REM Sleep and Learning
B. F. Skinner documented how operant conditioning changes behavior.
Memory for Operant-Conditioned Responses
Fiona Rae, I'm Learning to Fly!!
Operant Conditioning