Classical and operant conditioning

Evolution is not the only thing that determines an animal’s behaviour-it is also determined by learning gained from an animal’s experience in its environment. In psychology learning refers to a relatively permanent change in behaviour that occurs as the result of reinforcement. One type of learning is conditioning, of which there are two explanations: classical conditioning and operant conditioning. Both classical and operant conditioning attempt to explain exactly how an animal learns

Introduction to conditioning theory The nature of classical conditioning and its role in the behaviour of animals The historical framework of classical conditioning The historical framework of operant conditioning The nature of operant conditioning and its role in the behaviour

Introduction to conditioning theory

such new behaviours; thus they are learning theories. Furthermore, both classical conditioning theory and operant conditioning theory are based on behaviourism. Behaviourism is an approach in psychology that argues that the only appropriate subject matter for scientific psychological investigation is directly observable and measurable behaviour. Therefore behaviourists (those who take a behaviourism approach) claim that internal mental processes are not appropriate subject matter for scientific psychological investigation as they are not directly observable and measurable. Moreover, behaviourism regards any mental state as an epiphenomenon-that is a mental state is simply a state that happens to occur in the presence of observable behaviour but in fact plays no part in determining behaviour. To make this claim a little clearer consider the following: a fire may be lit to gain heat; however, when a fire occurs so does smoke but the smoke plays no part in making the fire produce heat-it is simply a useless by-product (i.e. an epiphenomenon). This is comparable to behaviourism’s view of mental processes that occur when behaviour occurs, thus the belief that mental states or concepts play a part in determining behaviour is rejected.