Classical conditioning as defined by the textbook is "A basic form of learning in which a stimulus that produces an innate reflex comes associated with a neutral stimulus, which acquires the power to elicit the same response. An example of classical conditioning is the in class experiment that was performed with the spray bottle and the student. Every time that the word "can" was mentioned the bottle was sprayed in the students face causing him to blink because it was a natural reaction. After awhile when the word "can" was said" the student would blink regardless if he was sprayed or not. The word, can, is the CS. The spraying of the student is the US, and the student blinking is the UR.
Operant conditioning is the changing of a behavior that is dictated by the use of rewards or punishments. When we first got our dog we needed to train the dog to go to the bathroom outside. When the dog did as she was supposed to we would reward her with a treat. When the dog did not go to the bathroom we would put her in her cage for 5-10 minutes. This may not have been the best way to train her but she eventually did learn to go outside when she had to go to the bathroom.
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The social learning theory, also known as observational learning, occurs when a person learns a behavior by observing an action. I learned to hunt and to fish by going out into the wilderness with my dad. Hunting and fishing aren't some of those things that you can learn by just listening to others telling you how to act or react. The way that I learned to hunt, shoot, track, field dress, and skin a kill. Or how to tie fish line, clean, skin, and gut a fish. These are just some of the things that I've learned from observing my father.
Aversive conditioning is the learned response caused by a negative experience. When I was about six years old I was playing in the backyard and was stung repeatedly by a wasp. For probably five years after that you couldn't get me within one hundred feet of a wasps' nest or even a single wasp for that matter.
