Classical Vs Operant Conditioning

Learning is a natural skill for humans early in life, and operant and classical conditioning are two common methods of learning. Operant conditioning is learning based on the discovered relationship between one’s voluntary behavior and its repercussions. The behavior is reinforced or punished either positively or negatively by consequences after the event. To be effective, the signal must happen after the behavior, but can only influence voluntary behaviors. The learner must be an active participant in the conditioning, changing their behavior based on the consequences. Alternatively, classical conditioning is learning based on a conditioned response after the repeated pairing of a neutral stimulus and an involuntary reflex. Classical conditioning

Living in close quarters with someone will always cause a few disagreements, especially if that someone is a sibling. Thankfully, one problem my roommate and brother, Austin, has no trouble solving is dirty dishes. Always ready to load the dishwasher or scrub a pot, I like to reinforce this excellent behavior through operant conditioning. We have been sharing a condo for close to two months now and Austin has sometimes shown a willingness to clean the dishes without being asked. In order to have Austin continue this behavior, I use positive reinforcement on a fixed ratio by complimenting the tidiness or thanking him for the thoughtful gesture every time he washes dishes without being asked. I began the operant conditioning shortly after arriving and it seems to be working splendidly. With continued praise, Austin will most likely continue to do the dishes voluntarily, and in time we may be able extend that willingness to other

Overall, operant and vicarious conditioning are very similar. They both bring about learning because of the relationship between voluntary behavior and its consequences. The major difference between the two is who experiences the consequences. In operant conditioning, the learner experiences the consequences of their behavior for themselves. However, vicarious conditioning has the learner see the consequences of a certain behavior by watching others without doing the behavior themselves. For example, if a friend of Alex’s had been pulled over and fined two hundred dollars for texting while driving he might be less likely to do it himself. By seeing someone he knows receive positive punishment with a ticket, Alex will know it could happen to him. He does not want the punishment and will, therefore, refrain from texting and driving. Sometimes vicarious conditioning is more effective than operant