Term Talk: Operant and Classical Conditioning

What is conditioning? What forms does it take? How is it applied in dog training?

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A photograph of Ivan Pavlov and his research team. Click on the image to learn more about these experiments from the dog's perspective.

Conditioning is the process through which a person or animal learns to behave in a certain way or to accept certain circumstances. It is the basis upon which most, if not all dog training methodology is based. The two common forms of conditioning are known as Classical and Operant, which vary in a few distinct ways.

Classical Conditioning First described by Ivan Pavlov, a Russian physiologist Focuses on involuntary, automatic behaviors Involves placing a neutral signal before a reflex

Operant Conditioning First described by B. F. Skinner, an American psychologist Involves applying reinforcement or punishment after a behavior Focuses on strengthening or weakening voluntary behaviors

Classical Conditioning

Regardless of your interest in science or psychology, you have probably heard about Pavlov's dogs. Ivan Pavlov noticed dogs would reliably drool in response to a tone if that tone was consistently played before mealtimes. At the time, this was a remarkable discovery, and Pavlov's work investigating and documenting this phenomenon became the basis for much of future psychology, including the famous "Little Albert" experiment.

In short, classical conditioning is a process that involves creating an association between a naturally existing stimulus and a previously neutral one.

Broken down, this definition includes three facets:

• A neutral stimulus, meaning the stimulus has no inherent value or meaning (yet) to the subject. A dog can hear a bell, but without conditioning it will not associate the bell with anything other than sound, making the bell's tone a neutral stimulus.
  

• An unconditioned stimulus, meaning the stimulus has some inherent or automatic value even without conditioning or training. A dog salivates when presented with food as it is a natural feeding response, in the same way we might jerk in pain when touching a hot surface.
  

• The creation of an association between the neutral stimulus (bell) and the unconditioned stimulus (food). If repeatedly presented with a ringing bell right before being fed, the dog will eventually associate the bell's tone with food so strongly that the bell alone can induce salivation.
  

Once this process is complete, the sound of the bell is no longer a neutral stimulus as it has been given meaning. Now, the bell is a conditioned stimulus and salivating in response to the bell is known as the conditioned response.

Operant Conditioning

Operant conditioning utilises reinforcement or punishment to teach (increase) or discourage (decrease) a behavior. Through this process, an association is formed between the behavior and the consequences of that behavior.

A good example of operant conditioning in full-swing is a loose leash walking exercise. The goal is to have the dog walk calmly beside the handler with slack in the lead, but if a dog is overly excited it might rush forward and pick up that slack. The resulting pressure the dog feels from the leash discourages pulling through positive punishment, and should the dog stop pulling that pressure is released, encouraging calm walking through negative reinforcement.

Inversely, when the dog is walking appropriately the handler may reward it with praise or treats (positive reinforcement), but should the dog begin behaving inappropriately the rewards will immediately be withheld, or the handler will stop walking, in an example of negative punishment.

In this way it is clear to see that often times, opposites on the operant conditioning quadrant are mostly variations on one motivator.

A number of factors can influence how quickly a response is learned and the strength of the response. How often the response is reinforced, known as a schedule of reinforcement, can play an important role in how quickly the behavior is learned and how strong the response becomes. The type of reinforcer used can also have an impact on the response.

For example, while a variable-ratio schedule will result in a high and steady rate of response, a variable-interval schedule will lead to a slow and steady response rate.

Classical vs. Operant Conditioning

One of the simplest ways to remember the differences between classical and operant conditioning is to focus on whether the behavior is involuntary or voluntary.

• Classical conditioning involves associating an involuntary response and a stimulus.

• Operant conditioning is about associating a voluntary behavior and a consequence.

In operant conditioning, the learner is also rewarded with incentives, while classical conditioning involves no such enticements. Also, remember that classical conditioning is passive on the part of the learner, while operant conditioning requires the learner to actively participate and perform some type of action in order to be rewarded or punished.

For operant conditioning to work, the subject must first display a behavior that can then be either rewarded or punished. Classical conditioning, on the other hand, involves forming an association with some sort of already naturally occurring event.

Today, both classical and operant conditioning are utilized for a variety of purposes by teachers, parents, psychologists, animal trainers, and many others. In animal conditioning, a trainer might utilize classical conditioning by repeatedly pairing the sound of a clicker with the taste of food. Eventually, the sound of the clicker alone will begin to produce the same response that the taste of food would, allowing the clicker to be used to mark good behaviours.

In a classroom setting, a teacher might utilize operant conditioning by offering tokens as rewards for good behavior. Students can then turn in these tokens to receive some type of reward, such as a treat or extra playtime. In each of these instances, the goal of conditioning is to produce some sort of change in behavior.