Conditioned Vs Instrumental Learning

“Learning could be defined as a relatively permanent change in behavior that occurs as a result of prior experience.” – E.R.Hilgard

”Learning has taken place if an individual behaves, reacts and responds as a result of experience in a manner different from the way he formerly behaved.”- McGehee

Classical conditioning, in contrast to operant conditioning, is a type of conditioning where an individual responds to some stimulus that would invariably produce such a response. This is also called Pavlovian conditioning after Ivan Pavlov, who worked out its fundamental principles through his studies of salivation in dogs, which he found could be elicited by neutral stimuli, such as ringing a bell, that had been repeatedly presented before the presentation of food. Another name for this form of learning is ‘Respondent Conditioning’.

Operant conditioning is voluntary or learned behaviour and it is determined, maintained and controlled by its consequence. It is also called Skinnerian conditioning after B.F. Skinner, who worked out its fundamental principles. Another name is Instrumental Conditioning, since the learned responses, which operate on the environment, are instrumental in either attaining some subsequent desirable reward or avoiding-escaping some subsequent aversive/punishing event.

Classical & Instrumental Conditioning Distinction: In classical conditioning one tries to increase the probability of a response to some neutral stimulus by pairing that stimulus with a following stimulus that already produces the response Initially, US - - ->UR, then CS, US - - ->UR, finally CS - - -> CR

In operant conditioning, one is trying to increase the probability of a response in the presence of some stimulus by following the desired response with a reinforcing stimulus. Alternatively, you might be trying to decrease the probability of a response (CR) in the presence of some stimulus (DS/CS) by following the undesired response with a punishing stimulus (P):DS/CS - - - -> CR -----> R or P

Note that in operant conditioning, unlike classical conditioning, there are response consequences, i.e., there are reinforcement or punishment contingencies--the reinforcement or punishment (R or P) being dependent/contingent upon the response (CR) occurring.

In contrast, in classical conditioning the unconditioned stimulus (US, which is like a reinforcement or punishment) follows the conditioned stimulus (CS) during training regardless of whether or not the conditioned response (CR) occurs. Here the CR, which is usually reflexive, is brought under the control of a stimulus event (CS) that precedes the response, rather than one that follows it.

Conscious application of operant conditioning principle often called as ‘Behaviour Modification’ helps in making a particular behaviour learnt and modified. This is Popularly called as ‘OB Mod’.

Example : The management of Emery Air Freight wanted packers to use freight containers for shipments whenever possible for economic savings. When packers were asked the reply was that they containerized 90 percent but the actual utilization is 45 percent. In order to make packers learn and change this behaviour, the management established a program of feedback and positive reinforcements. At the end of the first day the utilization rate jumped to 90 percent and was held to that level. In a three year period customer service, freight delivery systems, scheduling and other personal services were improved saving $2 million. The example of Emery Air Freight illustrates behaviour modification through operant conditioning.