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Classical and Operant Conditioning
Classical and operant conditioning are two significant concepts essential to behavioural psychology. Classical conditioning was studied by Ivan Pavlov and it involves pairing a previously neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus. The unconditioned stimulus triggers a response naturally and automatically. In classical conditioning, learning refers to involuntary responses that result from experiences that occur before a response. Classical conditioning supports the idea that people develop responses to certain stimuli that are not naturally occurring (Lilienfeld, 2011, p. 204).
During the process of operant conditioning, …show more content…
Operant conditioning can be used in behaviour modification, stopping addiction, language acquisition and in many other areas through reinforcement or punishment. Punishment is used to stop bad behaviours while reinforcement stops the bad behaviour and teaches what to do instead. A good example of the application of operant conditioning is a speeding driver. If he gets a ticket on that particular day, chances are, he will not over speed in future. The ticket is the punisher that puts the behaviour of over speeding to an end. Classical conditioning can be used to help a person overcome the fear of something through systematic desensitization. This technique helps a person to overcome fear elicited by something or a situation by approaching the feared situation gradually, in a psycho-physiological state that inhibits the fear. Classical conditioning can also be used in treating substance abuse problems such as alcoholism and smoking through aversion therapy where a paired association is formed between substance abuse and unpleasant experiences. In advertising, classical conditioning can be used successfully by pairing products with stimuli that elicit positive emotions in the targeted