Question

In case of CLASSICAL CONDITIONING Stimulus response sequence, the stimulus precedes the response. What happens in case of OPERANT CONDITIONING in this sequence?

A. The response is emitted.
B. A substitution in stimuli does not take place.
C. Goal-seeking activity is primarily involved
D. The response occurs prior to the effect (reward)

Answer 1

In operant conditioning, the organism emits a response that is followed by a consequence, unlike classical conditioning where a stimulus triggers a reflex.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the context of operant conditioning, unlike classical conditioning, the stimulus does not precede the response. Instead, the response is emitted by the organism and then followed by a consequence, which can be a reward or punishment. The operant conditioning sequence focuses on the consequence modulating the behavior, reinforcing desirable behaviors and decreasing the likelihood of undesirable behaviors. This learning process is centered on the association between a voluntary behavior and its consequences, where goal-directed activity is involved, and it is strengthed when the behavior leads to a positive outcome or reward.

Operantly conditioned behaviors are not elicited by prior stimuli but are instead influenced by the consequences they produce, which differentiates it from classical conditioning where a response is triggered by a conditioned stimulus. Famous psychologist B.F. Skinner is well known for his work with operant conditioning, where he used reinforcements and punishments to shape the behavior of pigeons and rats in his experiments.