This Assignment Will Help You Think About How Learning Happe

This assignment will help you think about how learning happens in all organisms and how

This assignment aims to analyze different behavioral examples to determine whether they exemplify classical conditioning or operant conditioning. It also requires identifying specific elements such as the unconditioned stimulus (US), unconditioned response (UR), conditioned stimulus (CS), conditioned response (CR), or specifying the schedule of reinforcement if applicable. The first example describes a scenario where a student’s behavior toward birds during a football game is associated with a referee’s whistle, leading to a delayed game until the birds are cleared. The second example involves bus waiting times influenced by strikes, illustrating variable waiting experiences based on external conditions.

In the first case, the scenario demonstrates classical conditioning. The behavior of the birds being startled and leaving the field was initially an unconditioned response (UR) to a natural stimulus—a loud whistle by the referee, which was the unconditioned stimulus (US). Over time, the black and white striped shirt worn by the student and the whistle blowing became conditioned stimuli (CS) as they were associated with the referee’s whistle. Consequently, the birds responded with a conditioned response (CR) of flight or alarm when exposed to these stimuli, even in the absence of the referee’s whistle. This example involves higher-order conditioning because the striped shirt alone eventually elicited a response without the original US, as the birds learned to associate the shirt with the loud whistle through repeated pairings.

The second example illustrates operant conditioning. The variability in bus arrival times, particularly during strikes, demonstrates reinforcement schedules that influence waiting behaviors. When buses are available promptly, the behavior is reinforced on a variable ratio schedule, where the reinforcement (bus arriving) occurs unpredictably but frequently enough to sustain the waiting behavior. During strikes, the long wait acts as a form of extinction or frustration, leading to the cessation of waiting or the voluntary choice to seek alternative transportation. The unpredictable nature of bus arrival times on different days is characteristic of a variable interval schedule, where reinforcement (bus arrival) occurs at unpredictable intervals, thereby affecting passengers’ waiting patience and behavior.

Paper For Above instruction

The examples provided distinctly demonstrate the principles of classical and operant conditioning, foundational concepts in behavioral psychology, which explain how organisms learn from their environments. Classical conditioning, first described by Pavlov, involves learning through associations between stimuli, leading to involuntary responses. In the case of the birds at the UCLA game, the initial unconditioned stimulus was the referee’s whistle, which naturally elicited an alarmed response from the birds—an unconditioned response. As the black and white striped shirt and the whistle became associated through repeated exposure, they evolved into conditioned stimuli capable of triggering the same response independently, a hallmark of classical conditioning. The involvement of higher-order conditioning in this scenario illustrates that a neutral stimulus, like the shirt, can eventually elicit a conditioned response (flight or alarm) by virtue of its association with the original stimulus, the whistle, without direct exposure to the US anymore.

Conversely, the waiting times for buses with unpredictable delays, especially during strikes, exemplify operant conditioning, where behavior is learned and maintained through reinforcement schedules. When a bus arrives promptly, it reinforces the waiting behavior on a variable ratio schedule—passengers learn that the number of attempts before receiving reinforcement varies randomly, encouraging continued patience. During strikes, the reinforcement contingencies are disrupted; the long wait diminishes the likelihood of waiting behavior, representing an extinction process or frustration-induced cessation. The inconsistency in bus arrivals fits the paradigm of a variable interval schedule, where reinforcement occurs at unpredictable times, often leading to more persistent behavior patterns. Over time, passengers adjust their expectations based on reinforcement patterns, illustrating how behavior is shaped and maintained through operant learning mechanisms.

References

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