Classical & Operant Conditioning Examples This style of question won’t be on the test but it helps to decide which conditioning you’re talking about!

Robert gets a ticket for driving under the influence that results in a $500 fine and suspension of his driving license. Is this classical or operant conditioning? What's the behavior involved? Will it increase or decrease? What kind of consequence is involved? Explanation: This is operant conditioning because the behavior is voluntary and it was followed with a consequence. The behavior is driving under the influence and it should decrease in this example (a strict behaviorist would obviously want some proof of this first). The consequences are both negative punishments. They would be punishments because the behavior will decrease and they are negative because they both involve something taken away (money and driving privileges).

Chris is bitten by the neighbor's German Shepherd. Now whenever she sees a dog in the neighborhood, she becomes afraid and runs away. She still enjoys petting her own family's cocker spaniel. Is this classical or operant conditioning? What is the conditioned stimulus? Unconditioned stimulus? Conditioned and unconditioned response? Is this an example of stimulus generalization? Stimulus discrimination? Explanation: This example is a bit more complicated because it involves mostly classical conditioning, but operant conditioning is present too. Her fear response is classically conditioned, because it is an automatic response. Her behavior of running away is operant conditioning because it is a voluntary behavior. The CS in this example is the sight of a dog in the neighborhood. The US was the dog bite from the German Shepherd. The UR and the CR are both fear. Stimulus generalization occurs when her CR generalizes to other dogs in the neighborhood. Her behavior shows discrimination in that the CR does not occur with her own dog.

Jacob's date was wearing a very alluring cologne on their recent date. The date itself was quite passionate. The following day when Jacob gets into his car he smells the lingering scent of his date's cologne and becomes transfixed with joy. Is this classical or operant conditioning? What is the unconditioned stimulus? Conditioned stimulus? Unconditioned and conditioned response? Is this an example of stimulus generalization or discrimination? Can Jacob forget about his date and just go purchase a bottle of the cologne? Will his reaction subside? Explanation: This is an example of classical conditioning, because the response of becoming transfixed with joy is automatic. The US would be the passionate date, which led to the UR of a joyful reaction. The CS was the scent of the cologne and the CR would be the joyful reaction. Stimulus generalization and discrimination are not involved here, but could be if Jacob responds in a similar way to other colognes and then develops a specific response to just the cologne worn by his date.

Martin has a panic attack during a plane ride. Now the mere thought of an airplane makes him very nervous. Twenty years pass and Martin is still afraid of airplanes even though he never took another flight. Is this classical or operant conditioning? What are the US, CS, UR, and CR? Why hasn't this response extinguished? Explanation: This example is primarily classical conditioning, because his fear response is automatic. (However, the choice to avoid planes would be a voluntary, operant conditioning, behavior.) The US would be the panic attack and the UR would be the fear it automatically triggered. The CS would be the airplane and the CR would be fear (the response has apparently generalized to all planes). The response hasn't extinguished in 20 years because Martin never went through extinction. He would need to be exposed to the CS (airplanes) without the US (panic attacks) over many trials for his CR (fear) to extinguish.

Your bright cat has learned that your presence in the kitchen is associated with food. Your cat has also learned that he can encourage your presence in the kitchen on Saturday mornings by standing on your chest and meowing (when you are obviously trying to sleep). You decide to get up and feed the cat to shut it up, but the problem only gets worse on subsequent weekends. Classical or operant? (Be careful with this one!) You know the drill. If it's operant, what kind of consequence is involved? If it's classical, what are the assorted stimuli and responses? Could it be both operant and classical? Explanation: Most of what I have described here is operant conditioning because it involves voluntary behaviors (cat standing on your chest and meowing, you getting up and feeding the cat). However, there is also an undescribed element of classical conditioning in which the cat has learned to associate you with the delivery of food and now automatically responds to your presence in the kitchen with a similar emotional response (joy?). The cat's behavior of bothering you is positively reinforced because the cat receives something (food) and the behavior increases. Your behavior is negatively reinforced because feeding the cat puts an end to its annoying behavior and we would expect you to repeat this behavior in the future. This is essentially the same as the preceding example and I would recommend a different course unless you enjoy the cat's annoying behavior. It will probably backfire if you try to punish the cat for meowing, so the best thing to do is to ignore the cat (extinction) and feed it when it is being quiet.