Blog #8

Classical conditioning is a type of learning in which one learns to link two or more stimuli and anticpate events. That was the way the book described it. In my words I believe classical conditioning is like taking puzzle pieces and putting them together to create the whole picture. An example would be a teacher giving you the end of the chapter assignment and making the next day a review day in class. You can conclude that the following day is going to be a chapter test in class. Operant conditioning is a type of learning in which behavior is stregthened if followed by a reinforcer or diminished if followed by a punisher. An example of that would be me cheating on a test, and having bad behavior, then in turn getting a 0% on my test from the teacher causing me never to cheat again. The difference between classical and operant conditioning is classical you are using what you know to predict a future event whereas operant is performing a behavior that will diminish because of a punisher telling you it was wrong. It is interesting to see how two types of conditions can be totally different in many ways yet still play a huge part in our lives. They both apply greatly to my life but I believe more so operant conditioning because so many times I perfrom behaviors at school, at home, or at practice that I get punished for and realize it wasn't worth the time.
Positive reinforcement is increasing behaviors by presenting positive stimuli. Negative reinforcement is increasing behaviors by stopping or reducing negative stimuli. Punishment is an event that decreases the behavior that it follows. An example of a positive reinforcement is a suggestion that my mom brought to my attention. She offered to buy me a cell phone for my 18th birthday if I could keep all "A"s in all my classes. I worked really hard and set goals for myself to complete all my classes with an A. I achieved those goals with "A"s in all my classes and for my 18th birthday I received a cell phone. An example of a negative reinforcement would be my behavior changed when I was dating a certain guy. He was a bad influence on me and made my behavior change for the worst. My mom brought it to my attention and told me to stop seeing him. I did as she asked and it urns out his next girlfriend he got pregnant and got into trouble for under age drinking. I also found someone better for me. Finally, an example of a punishment is I tend to use unnecessary and inapproiate words. Well my mom hears them and everytime I use an inapproiate word I have to pay her 10 cents as my punishment. That money than goes to charity. The outcome in this situation is at the time I didn't think 10 cent was a lot until I realized how much I swore and how I was running low on money. I soon reduced my swearing and I have money again.
In this section I thought observational learning was the most interesting topic. Observational learning is observing others in their actions and than imitating them. I love to see the different behaviors and actions performed and see who follows and who doesn't. I also enjoy seeing how others respond to the action, such as do they follow or do they become individual and do their own thing. This applies to my everyday life and everyone elses in the aspect that people do stuff all the time in shcool that others will either follow or thye will go the other direction. I have observed that if someone is popular they are more likely to be imiated than if someone who isn't so popular were to do the same thing.