Operant Conditioning and Observational Learning

Why do you study? Why don't you put your hand on a hot stove? You study to do well in school, and you don't put your hand on a hot stove because it causes pain. This is the idea behind operant conditioning. You do or do not do something based on positive or negative consequences you have learned. Take note that in classical conditioning, responses tend to be involuntary behaviors like a racing heart, salivating, or twitching. Operant conditioning tends to involve voluntary behaviors that you can control, like studying or refraining from touching something hot. A third and final type of learning is observational learning, which is how one can learn by watching others.

Essential Questions

• What are the main types of reinforcers and how do they shape learning?
• What is the role of observational learning on behavior?