PSYCH 101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Edward Thorndike, Operant Conditioning, Classical Conditioning
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PSYCH 101 Full Course Notes
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Classical conditioning involves associating events and stimuli: a conditioned stimulus predicts occurrence of an unconditioned stimulus, causing a conditioned response. Operant conditioning involves learning where behavior is affected by its consequences. Edward thorndike studied cats that solved puzzles. If a cat stepped on a lever in the cage, the door would open and the cat could escape and receive a food reward. Thorndike proposed the law of effect to explain the cat"s behavior: positive consequences ^ likelihood behavior will be repeated, negative consequences v likelihood behavior will be repeated. Reinforcement - involves use of reinforcers (any event that increases likelihood a behavior will be repeated: types of reinforcement: (1) positive reinforcement. Strengthening a behavior by adding something positive to the situation. Ex: when a child gets good grades or performs good deeds to get praise from parents or teachers (2) negative reinforcement. Strengthening a behavior by removing something negative (positive consequence)
