Behavior Principles in Everyday Life

1
Behavior Principles in Everyday Life

• Chapter 4
• Pavlovian and Operant Conditioning Together

2
The Differences

• The Role of Reflexes. Pavlovian conditioning
  builds from the basic biological reflexes whereas
  operant conditioning need not.
• In Pavlovian conditioning, a conditioned reflex
  (CS ? CR) can be established only if there is
  some prior reflex (conditioned or unconditioned)
  from which to build.
• In contrast, operant behavior does not depend on
  reflexes. Most operant behavior has nothing to
  do with reflexes (although some of the reflexes
  can be partially modified by operant
  conditioning).

3
The Differences Cont.

• Eliciting Versus Emitting. An important
  difference between the reflexive and operant
  behavior is that reflexes are elicited whereas
  operants are emitted. Both USs and CSs have the
  power to elicit reflexive responses, triggering
  them as automatically as pulling the trigger of a
  gun fires the weapon. However, SDs do not
  automatically trigger operant behavior They
  merely set the occasion for the operant which
  may or may not be emitted, depending on prior
  patterns of reinforcement and other variables.

4
The Differences Cont.

• The Internal-External Continuum. Reflexive
  responses tend to promote smooth operation of
  internal bodily processes, whereas operant
  behavior is usually instrumental in affecting the
  external environment.
• The Role of Reinforcers. Although reinforcement
  is necessary for operant conditioning, it is not
  needed for Pavlovian conditioning.

5
The Differences Cont.

• What New Thing is Learned? In Pavlovian
  conditioning, a person learns to respond to a new
  stimulus At first the new stimulus is a neutral
  stimulus (NS), but during Pavlovian conditioning
  it becomes a CS that elicits a reflexive
  response. In operant conditioning, people learn
  new behavior patterns along with sensitivities to
  numerous SDs or S?s that cue when the new
  behavior may lead to reinforcement, extinction,
  or punishment.

6
Pavlovian and Operant Interactions

• CSs for Emotions Can Serve as Reinforcers or
  Punishers that Produce Operant Conditioning. Any
  stimulus that becomes a CS through Pavlovian
  conditioning can function as reinforcer or a
  punisher if that CS elicits pleasurable or
  aversive emotional responses.
• Conversely, CSs that elicit aversive feelings can
  serve as punishers and negative reinforcers.

7
Pavlovian and Operant Interactions Cont.

• Pavlovian as a By-Product of Operant. During
  operant conditioning, some Pavlovian conditioning
  occurs as a side effect. The most common example
  of this operant side effect is the Pavlovian
  conditioning of emotional responses.

8
Pavlovian and Operant Interactions Cont.

• When a child is about to stick a knife into an
  electric toaster to fish out a crumbling piece of
  raisin bread, a parent may shout, No! The
  parent has used verbal punishment to suppress the
  operant behavior of sticking metal objects into
  the toaster. In addition, there is a Pavlovian
  side effect The stimulus of knife-in-toaster
  becomes a CS that elicits anxiety due to its
  association with the verbal punishment. In the
  future, the CS of knife-in-toaster may elicit
  emotions of fear or apprehension even if the
  parent is not present.

9
Pavlovian and Operant Interactions Cont.

• Operants Disrupted by Reflexes. Operant behavior
  can be disrupted by reflexive responses.
• Reflexes Disrupted by Operants. Reflexive
  responses can sometimes be interrupted or
  suppressed by operant activities.
• Reflexes Modified by Operant Conditioning. The
  frequency and form of many reflexes can be
  modified by reinforcement and punishment.