Critical
Thinking Assignment #2: Classical and Operant Conditioning
Classical conditioning scenario #1: Jed has a fondness for all types of pastels. When asked
why, he looks thoughtful and says he doesn't know, except that he's felt that way
for years. He does recall a wonderful surprise birthday party his parents threw
for him when he was a child. The whole room was decorated in pale green, blue,
and yellow. Answer the following questions to explain how Jed's fondness for
pastels could have developed as a function of classical conditioning.
1. What is the
2. What is the
3. What is the CS?
4. What is the CR?
5. What classical conditioning process can explain why Jed likes all
pastels and not just pale, green, blue, and yellow?
Classical conditioning scenario #2: I read this story in a text entitled Learning &
Behavior written by Lewis M. Barker. In
the 1960s some members of the Air Force volunteered to test space suits (Dr.
Barker was one of those volunteers).
They were strapped to a sled that was propelled along rails and then
slammed into a wall. This was done to
test if the suit and helmet could take various forms of impact. Prior to "launch" there was a 40
second European style emergency vehicle horn that sounded ("dee doo, dee
doo").
Dr. Barker writes that to this day when he hears emergency vehicles in
1. What is the
2. What is the
3. What is the CS?
4. What is the CR?
5. What would you do to help Dr. Barker get over his aversive reaction?
Operant
Conditioning scenario #1. A Father and his child enter
the checkout lane of the supermarket. When the child screams for candy,
the father pops a sucker in her mouth to quiet her down. For this
scenario focus on how the child's behavior (screaming) is being affected by the
immediate consequences of that
behavior.
1. What were the consequences of screaming for the child? (good, bad, neutral)
2. Will the child be more or less likely to scream when he wants candy in the
future?
3. What operant conditioning principle is at work? (positive
reinforcement? negative reinforcement? positive punishment? negative
punishment?)
Operant Conditioning scenario #2. A Father and his child enter the checkout lane of the supermarket. When
the child screams for candy, the father pops a sucker in her mouth to
quiet her down. For this scenario focus
on how the father's behavior (giving candy) is being affected by the immediate consequences of that behavior.
1. What were the immediate consequences of giving the child candy for the
father?
2. Will the father be more or less likely to give the child candy when he (the
child) screams in the future?
3. What operant conditioning principle is at work? (positive
reinforcement? negative reinforcement? positive punishment? negative
punishment?)
4. From an operant conditioning perspective, what recommendations
would you make to the dad
at the supermarket described above?