Overview: Write 56 Pages Examining Conditioning

Overviewwrite 56 Pages In Which You Examine How Conditioning Changes

Write 5–6 pages in which you examine how conditioning changes some of your own behaviors. While modern research in psychology is not explicitly behaviorist in its approach, behaviorism is still relevant in certain areas today. For example, it is often taken for granted that objective, quantitative measures are used, as opposed to introspective reports that were common in early research. Show more by successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and assessment criteria:

• Use information technology and tools to identify information in the domain of learning and cognition.
• Summarize a scholarly research article regarding the treatment of phobias.
• Assess important theories, paradigms, research findings, and conclusions in human learning and cognition.
• Describe aspects of a scholarly research article that reflect behaviorist principles.
• Analyze how behaviorism is relevant today.
• Apply knowledge of theory and research in learning and cognition to inform personal behavior, professional goals, and social policy.
• Communicate effectively in a variety of formats, writing coherently in APA format with correct grammar, usage, and mechanics.

Context: Psychologists studying learning examine an event's relationship to a stimulus or stimuli. Some argue this relationship underlies all learning, while others distinguish between associative and non-associative learning. This assessment focuses on non-associative, stimulus learning, including habituation and sensitization.

The assessment covers topics such as classical conditioning, instrumental conditioning, habituation, sensitization, and their applications, including exposure therapies and real-world behaviors. Questions to consider include differences between associative and non-associative learning, how habituation and sensitization are studied, and the relevance of behaviorism today.

Paper For Above instruction

Conditioning, a fundamental concept in behavioral psychology, significantly influences human behavior and learning processes. Personal experiences illustrate how classical and instrumental conditioning shape our daily behaviors, attitudes, and habits. Through exploring these personal examples and relevant research, we gain insight into the enduring relevance of behaviorist principles in understanding and modifying behavior.

My own behavior has been shaped by conditioning mechanisms, notably through reinforcement and punishment. For instance, as a child, I learned to complete my homework regularly due to parental reinforcement—praise and rewards for timely completion. This exemplifies operant conditioning, where behaviors are strengthened through positive reinforcement (Skinner, 1989). Similarly, I developed specific habits, such as thorough handwashing after school, reinforced by positive feedback from parents and teachers. These behaviors exemplify how reinforcement increases the likelihood of certain behaviors occurring in specific contexts.

Another example involves avoidance behaviors rooted in classical conditioning. I once developed a fear of public speaking after experiencing a stressful presentation. The anxiety or fear became associated with the act of speaking publicly, illustrating classical conditioning, where a neutral stimulus (public speaking) becomes conditioned to elicit a fear response due to prior negative experiences (Watson, 1913). This conditioned response persisted until exposure therapy was used to desensitize the fear, which is consistent with the habituation process studied in non-associative learning (Jaycox, Foa, & Morral, 1998).

Research supports the view that conditioning mechanisms are central to behavior change. For example, a 2009 study by Epstein and colleagues (Epstein et al., 2009) investigates habituation's role in human food intake. The study demonstrates how repeated exposure to food reduces the consumption response over time, exemplifying habituation—a form of non-associative learning. This research underscores how conditioned responses and habituation can influence behaviors such as eating patterns, linking psychological theory with practical behavior modification strategies.

Classical conditioning differs from instrumental conditioning in its mechanisms and applications. Classical conditioning involves forming associations between stimuli, as seen in Pavlov’s experiments with dogs, where a conditioned stimulus (bell) predicts an unconditioned stimulus (food), resulting in a conditioned response (Salivation) (Pavlov, 1927). Conversely, instrumental or operant conditioning involves learning behaviors through consequences—reinforcements or punishments—that increase or decrease the likelihood of behavior (Woods, 1974). Reinforcers strengthen behaviors, while punishers diminish them, impacting behavior in settings from classrooms to workplaces.

Despite advances in cognitive psychology, behaviorism remains relevant, particularly in applied settings like behavior therapy. For example, exposure therapy, a behavioral intervention for phobias, is grounded in classical conditioning principles, where controlled exposure reduces conditioned fear responses through habituation (Jaycox et al., 1998). This evidences the application of behaviorist strategies to treat psychological conditions effectively.

However, behaviorism has limitations, especially in explaining complex cognitive processes like language acquisition, which involve innate mechanisms beyond stimulus-response associations (Chomsky, 1959). While rewards and punishments influence behavior, they do not fully account for cognitive and emotional aspects of learning. Today, a more integrated approach, combining behaviorist principles with cognitive theories, provides a comprehensive understanding of learning and behavior change.

In conclusion, conditioning continues to profoundly influence human behavior. Personal examples illustrate operant and classical conditioning's roles in developing habits, fears, and behaviors. Research supports the enduring applicability of behaviorist principles, especially in clinical interventions like exposure therapy. Nonetheless, acknowledging the limitations of behaviorism encourages ongoing integration with cognitive approaches to capture the full complexity of human learning and behavior modification in contemporary psychology.

References

• Chomsky, N. (1959). A review of B.F. Skinner's Verbal Behavior. Language, 35(1), 26-58.
• Epstein, L. H., Temple, J. L., Rhombic, J. N., & Button, M. E. (2009). Habituation as a determinant of human food intake. Psychological Review, 116(2), 384-407.
• Jaycox, L. H., Foa, E. B., & Morral, A. R. (1998). Influence of emotional engagement and habituation on exposure therapy for PTSD. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 66(1), 185-192.
• Pavlov, I. P. (1927). Conditioned reflexes: An investigation of the physiological activity of the cerebral cortex. Oxford University Press.
• Skinner, B. F. (1989). The origins of cognitive thought. American Psychologist, 44(1), 13-18.
• Watson, J. B. (1913). Psychology as the behaviorist views it. Psychological Review, 20, 158-177.
• Woods, P. J. (1974). A taxonomy of instrumental conditioning. American Psychologist, 29(8), 584-597.
• Additional sources to support relevant concepts and research.