Using relevant examples, explain the Principles of classical conditioning in Educational Psychology

1. The principle of reinforcement
When the dog is put in the experimental situation and the tone is sounded and then food
is given this constitutes reinforcement. The food is a pleasant event presented to the dog
and it constitutes positive reinforcement.

2. The principle of extinction
Extinction refers to the dying of the learned response, which occurs when reinforcement
is withdrawn. This occurs when a dog has been conditioned to associate the tone or bell
with presentation of food and after some time the food is not delivered. When the
experimenter rings the bell or sounds the tone without giving the dog food the learned
behavior disappears.

3. The principle of spontaneous recovery
Spontaneous recovery is the reappearance of a learned response without the
reintroduction of reinforcement. It occurs if a dog that was initially conditioned to
associate the sound of the bell or tone with the presentation of food. This dog is taken
through the process of extinction. It is then given some resting time where no bells are
heard. If this dog is returned to the experimental situation again and the bell is sounded, it
will salivate even if no food is given. However this response dies very fast if
reinforcement is not reintroduced.

4. The principle of generalization
Generalization refers to responding to stimuli, which is similar to the original stimuli as
long as both are reinforced. This occurs when the experimenter reinforces the dog with
food every time he sounds different types or tones or bell sounds. In this training the dog
learns that every time there is a bell sound whatever the type there will be food.
Therefore, the dog learns to respond to similarities. So when there is a tone similar to the
one it was conditioned to, it salivates.

5. The principle of discrimination
Discrimination refers learning to pick out the differences in the stimuli and therefore
responding to a very specific stimulus. This occurs when a dog has been conditioned to
respond to a particular stimulus. If the experimenter introduces other stimuli he does not
accompany them with the reinforcement. As a result the dog learns to pick out the
differences in stimuli and to respond to very specific ones. Discrimination training takes a
much longer time and more trial to establish.

---

NatalieR answered the question on February 10, 2022 at 07:35