What is learning? Learning is the process of gaining new or adapting existing knowledge, skills, and behaviors. Learning is a continuous occurrence throughout our lifetime, as is science. Science is a state of knowing. Science is usually obtained through observation and experimentation. Learning has been a subject of many experiments involving people such as Ivan Pavlov, B.F skinner, john Watson and Edward Thorndike. These men are famous for studying an associative type of learning known as conditioning. Exactly, what is conditioning? Conditioning is used by establishing connections between a stimulus and a response. Classical, also known as Pavlovian, is one type of conditioning. Classical conditioning is the process teaching connections
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Operant conditioning is the manipulation of the consequences of prior behavior, by reinforcement or punishment. Operant conditioning was first studied by Edward Thorndike. He observed his cats trying to escape from a homemade puzzle box. When first put in the box, the cats took a long time to escape. Eventually with some trials and errors, they managed to escape at a faster rate using successful responses more frequently. Operant learning was further observed by B.F. Skinner. Although he is known as the father of operant learning, his work is based off of Edward Thorndike’s. He studied by using animal in experiments using boxes called a skinner box, similar to Thorndike’s puzzle boxes. Skinner showed how positive reinforcement worked when he placed a hungry rat in his box. It had a lever inside that the rat would repeatedly move by accident. As it did, food would be dispensed. The rat learned to go to the lever once placed in the box after a few times. The positive reinforcement would cause the rat to always go to the lever to receive the consequence of food. Skinner showed negative reinforcement exposing it to an electric current which produced unpleasant sensations. When placed in the box, this rat did the same as the other an accidently moved the lever. However, instead of producing food, it stopped the current. This rat also eventually learned to go straight to the lever to stop the current every time. In the works of Pavlov, Watson, Thorndike and Skinner, they were all conducting experiments or making observations to increase their knowledge. It just so happens that their subject was learning which a word isn’t that pops up when ones usually thinks of science. However, isn’t this precisely what science is all
Operant conditioning is the manipulation of the consequences of prior behavior, by reinforcement or punishment. Operant conditioning was first studied by Edward Thorndike. He observed his cats trying to escape from a homemade puzzle box. When first put in the box, the cats took a long time to escape. Eventually with some trials and errors, they managed to escape at a faster rate using successful responses more frequently. Operant learning was further observed by B.F. Skinner. Although he is known as the father of operant learning, his work is based off of Edward Thorndike’s. He studied by using animal in experiments using boxes called a skinner box, similar to Thorndike’s puzzle boxes. Skinner showed how positive reinforcement worked when he placed a hungry rat in his box. It had a lever inside that the rat would repeatedly move by accident. As it did, food would be dispensed. The rat learned to go to the lever once placed in the box after a few times. The positive reinforcement would cause the rat to always go to the lever to receive the consequence of food. Skinner showed negative reinforcement exposing it to an electric current which produced unpleasant sensations. When placed in the box, this rat did the same as the other an accidently moved the lever. However, instead of producing food, it stopped the current. This rat also eventually learned to go straight to the lever to stop the current every time. In the works of Pavlov, Watson, Thorndike and Skinner, they were all conducting experiments or making observations to increase their knowledge. It just so happens that their subject was learning which a word isn’t that pops up when ones usually thinks of science. However, isn’t this precisely what science is all