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Research Paper
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RESEARCH PAPER
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Compare and Contrast Classical and Instrumental Conditioning
Introduction
To examine operant or instrumental and classical conditioning, it is important first to
understand the subject from which they are derived, which is learning. Learning is the relatively
permanent change in a person’s behavior that is produced by an experience Instrumental, and
classical conditioning are examples of the several learning theories that take behaviorist
approach. Instrumental conditioning is learning which takes pace as a result or consequence of
behavior whereas classical conditioning is the association of an event with another event
resulting in a behavior pattern (Miskovic, 2012). This research paper will try to examine the
similarities and differences between instrumental and classical conditioning, and after that, it will
explain how we use classical and instrumental conditioning in learning the process.
Classical conditioning is mostly associated with the Russian Psychologist called Ivan
Pavlov (1849-1936). The Russian Psychologists was doing research on digestion in dogs and his
discoveries led Ivan Pavlov to investigate the tendency of a dog to salivate when responding to a
stimulus, which is an involuntary reflex action. He rang a bell, which is conditioned stimulus,
every time he offered food to the dog or the dog wax offered food, which is an unconditional
stimulus. The dog began associating the ringing of the bell with food gradually, and so each time
Ivan Pavlov rang the bell, it responded by salivating whether or not there was food (conditioned
response) (Ellis, n.d). Most of our behaviors are shaped by the pairing of stimuli. Certain stimuli,
for example, perfume or cologne result in intense emotions. It is not because the smell is the
cause of that emotion but because of what one has paired the smell with, for example, husband or
boyfriend. WE make such associations every time and do not realize the power that pairing or
connection has on us.
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Operant or instrumental conditioning is often allied with Skinner B.F. an American
psychologist who developed the Thorndike’s law of effect.
He showed that through
identification of rewards and responses, it is possible to produce behavioral model chains. His
experiment consisted of a hungry rat in a box that had a level in it. A food pellet was delivered in
the box every time that level was pressed. While that rat inside the box investigated the new
environment or surroundings, the rat pressed that level accidentally, and a food pellet was
delivered inside the box. The rat started pressing the level more and more frequently and every
time it pressed the level, food pellets were delivered. That food acted as reinforcement for that
behavior. This is how we learn every day. For example, when we make mistakes, we most likely
tend to remember that mistake and then try doing things differently if that same situation comes
up again. In this sense, we learn to act in a different way based on natural consequences of our
previous actions. This is the same for positive actions. When something one did results to a
positive outcome, then one is likely to repeat the same activity or action over and over again.
Similarities between Classical and Instrumental Conditioning
There are several similarities between classical and instrumental conditioning, for
example, the process of extinction, stimulus generalization, spontaneous recovery, higher
secondary reinforcement or order condition, and discrimination. Extinction process can occur in
both classical and instrumental conditioning, whereby behavior fades away if it is not reinforced.
If there is repeated introduction of conditioned stimulus with classical conditioning but with the
absence or non-introduction of unconditioned stimulus, the conditioned response weakens, and it
eventually goes into extinction. If reinforcement is not carried out with instrumental
conditioning, then the response that is associated with the condition will go into extinction. Even
though the behavior undergoes the process of extinction, research illustrates that the behavior is
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not necessarily forgotten completely (Delamater, 2007). This is because responses sometimes
appear even after extinction. This is referred to as the spontaneous recovery. For example, in the
case of Pavlov’s dog, in the absence of the ringing bell, the dog’s response of salivation will
extinct. To evoke this previously learned salivation response, one can ring a bell paired with
food. After extinction, relearning can be accomplished at a more rapid rate compared to what
was required initially. However, re-extinction occurs if the response is not strengthened again.
Stimulus generalization occurs in both instrumental and classical conditioning. Stimulus
generalization is elicitation of a response to a stimulus or the tendency for a stimuli similar to a
conditioned stimulus to also elicit a conditioned response.{Hi, how are you? I would really like
to work from outside the site, just that we can’t exchange info on there.. Contact me on
[email protected] I will be glad to help..} . In classical conditioning, stimulus
generalization occurs in all cases of classical conditioning because there is always other stimuli
sharing similarities with the conditioned stimulus. For example, in the case of the Russian
Psychologist Ivan Pavlov’s experiment, the dog salivating to the ringing of the bell, stimulus
generalization can be like if the at dog likewise salivates to a click or a whistle. In instrumental
conditioning, the term stimulus generalization refers to the tendency to respond to a new
stimulus as if the stimulus was the original stimulus (Delamater, 2011).
Stimulus discrimination in classical conditioning is the ability to differentiate between
the conditioned stimulus and another stimulus that are not paired with an unconditioned stimulus.
For example, since the bell tone is the conditioned stimulus in Pavlov’s experiment, stimulus
discrimination would be the dog having the ability to differentiate between the tone of the bell
and other similar sounds. Stimulus discrimination in operant conditioning is the tendency for a
response to occur only in the presence of a particular stimulus. For example, if the rat gets the
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food pellet when it only presses the level, the rat will press the level when she only needs the
food because the food becomes a signal that tells the rat that its behavior will be reinforced.
Differences between Classical and Instrumental Conditioning
Both classical and operant or instrumental conditioning involve stimulus and response.
However, instrumental conditioning differs from classical conditioning in two ways.
Instrumental conditioning’s response is voluntary rather than involuntary like in classical
conditioning. In classical conditioning, when a particular stimulus is present (conditioned), the
response follows automatically, usually with a little choice on the part of the learner. In
instrumental conditioning, the response is normally voluntary. If the learner is willing, he or she
can control if or not to make the response. For instance, the rat can choose whether or not to
press the level so that a food pellet can be delivered in the box. Nothing forces the rat to do that.
Instrumental conditioning voluntary response nature is essential for teachers to keep in kind. For
instrumental conditioning to occur, learners should first make a response. Most educational
applications of the behaviorist principles involve getting the learners actively and physically
engaged in working with the academic subject matter.
In instrumental conditioning, learning occurs due to a stimulus which comes after and
not before the response. Classical conditioning is as a result of the pairing of two stimuli, one
stimulus the UCS that first elicits a response and the other stimulus the CS which starts to elicit a
similar or the same response (Escobar, 2004). Thus, the two stimuli lead to certain responses.
However, in instrumental conditioning, the learner makes the move first, and then an
environmental stimuli, a punishment or a reinforce follows. Normally, there is a contingency that
occurs between the response and the outcome or consequence. Mostly, the consequence always
follows the response. The consequence seldom occurs if the response has not been made. For
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instance, a teacher who praises her or his students only when the students behave well or
appropriately makes a reinforcement contingent on the desired or required behavior of the
students. In contracts, if a teacher always laughs at a chronically misbehaving student’s antics,
provides reinforcement to the response even when there is no occurrence of an acceptable
response. Consequently, the behavior of the student is likely not to improve.
Conclusion
Instrumental conditioning is learning which takes pace as a result or consequence of
behavior whereas classical conditioning is the association of an event with another event
resulting in a behavior pattern. Both are examples of the several learning theories that take
behaviorist approach. There are several similarities between classical and instrumental
conditioning, for example, the process of extinction, stimulus generalization, spontaneous
recovery, higher secondary reinforcement or order condition, and discrimination. Instrumental
conditioning differs from classical conditioning in two ways. Instrumental conditioning’s
response is voluntary rather than involuntary like in classical conditioning and in instrumental
conditioning, learning occurs due to a stimulus which comes after and not before the response.
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References
Delamater, R.A., & Oakeshott, S. (2007). Learning about Multiple Attributes of Reward in
Pavlovian conditioning. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences.
Delamater, A. (2011). At the Interface of Learning and Cognition: An Association Learning
Perspective. International Journal of Comparative Psychology, 24, 389-411.
Ellis, J., (n.d). Educational Psychology; Developing Learners. Ormrood.
Escobar, M., & Miller, R.R. (2004). A Review of the Empirical Laws of Basic Learning in
Pavlovian conditioning. International Journal of Comparative Psychology. 17, 279-303.
Miskovic, V., & Keil, A. (2012). Acquired Fears Reflected In Cortical Sensory Processing: A
Review of Electrophysiological Studies of Human Classical Conditioning.
Psychophysiology, 49, 1230-1241. Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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