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Gradient Ocean

Classical and Operant Conditioning 

Week 2

Classical Conditioning

One of the critical pillars of behaviorism is classical conditioning, a learning process rooted in associations or external stimuli. This concept was first explored by the renowned Russian neurophysiologist Ivan Pavlov in 1890. Pavlov discovered that every time a caretaker or a sound was introduced right before a meal, dogs would immediately salivate in the presence of that specific stimulus. By association, the dogs knew their food would be served. Hence, it was time to eat. ​

Operant Conditioning

Operant conditioning, first studied by Edward Thorndike in 1898 as "Law of Effect," was the foundation of B.F Skinner's work in 1937 when studying the correlation between animals and people's behavior. Operant conditioning refers to learning or behavior that, if pleasant or has a positive outcome, is most likely to be repeated. On the contrary, if the learning or behavior ends up being unpleasant or has a negative result, it will most likely not be repeated (reward or punishment concept). 

Sources and Citations 

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