T.A.

PAI MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE,

MANIPAL

INDIVIDUAL & GROUP DYNAMICS- HRM 5001

Reflective Video Write-Up
On

Classical Conditioning
And
Operant Conditioning

PGDM 2018-20

Submitted by:
Group AN1
Ankur Inani-18S711
Darshika Goel-18S716
Mayur Phalak-18S726
Prithviraj Padgalwar-18S734
Thomas Kuncheria-18S758

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Learning is any measurable relatively permanent change in the behaviour of a person that
occurs as a result of experience - S P Robbins
Three schools of thought in learning are: behaviourism, humanism and connectivism.
Behavioural theories look at learning through conditioning. Two types of conditioning are
discussed here:
1. Classical Conditioning
2. Operant Conditioning

 CLASSICAL CONDITIONING (PAVLOV)

It is the form of Associative Learning. It involves learning a new behaviour via the process of
association. It has three key components as follows:

 An unconditioned stimulus
 An unconditioned response
 A conditioned (or neutral) stimulus
The theory states that when a conditioned (neutral) stimuli and unconditioned stimuli are
presented together and associated with the subject, the neutral stimuli create responses
exactly as the unconditional stimuli.

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STAGE 1: Before Conditioning
In this stage, the unconditioned stimulus (UCS) produces an unconditioned response (UCR)
in an organism.
SCENE 1: Unconditioned Stimulus: People telling to get married
Unconditioned response: Frustration by Prithvi
o The scene shows that whenever people ask Prithvi to get married, he gets frustrated. It is
a natural response which has not been taught. In this respect, no new behaviour has been
learned yet.
This stage also involves another stimulus which has no effect on a person and is called neutral
stimulus (NS). The neutral stimulus does not produce a response until it is paired with the
unconditioned stimulus.
SCENE 2: Neutral Stimulus: Phone call from Grandmother
Unconditioned response: No frustration by Prithvi
o The scene shows when Prithvi receives the call from his grandmother (neutral stimulus)
he does not irritate or frustrate rather talks to her politely.
STAGE 2: During Conditioning
During the second stage, the previously neutral stimulus is repeatedly paired with the
unconditioned stimulus. As a result of this, an association between the two is formed. Now,
the neutral stimulus becomes the conditioned stimulus (CS). The subject has now been
conditioned to response to this stimulus.
The conditioned stimulus after becoming associated with the unconditioned stimulus, triggers
an unconditioned response (the same response we used to get with the neutral stimulus).
SCENE 3&4: Neutral Stimulus: Call from grandmother
Unconditioned Stimulus: People telling to get married
Unconditioned response: Frustration by Prithvi
o The scene shows that when Prithvi receives the call from his grandmother and when she
talks about marriage he gets frustrated. Phone call from grandmother after getting
associated with marriage becomes a conditioned stimulus and we see an unconditioned
response of Prithvi getting frustrated.
STAGE 3: After Conditioning
Once the association has been made between the Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS) and the
Conditioned Stimulus (CS), presenting the conditioned stimulus alone will produce the same
response as with unconditioned response. The resulting response is known as the

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conditioned response (CR). The conditioned response is the learned response to the
previously neutral stimulus.
SCENE 5: Conditioned Stimulus: Call from grandmother
Conditioned response: Frustration by Prithvi
o The scene shows that now whenever Prithvi receives the call from his grandmother he
gets frustrated. The response is a conditioned response as he has now associated the
phone call from grandmother with his marriage and therefore, he gets frustrated.

 OPERANT CONDITIONING(SKINNER)

It is referred to as Instrumental Conditioning. It is a method of learning that occurs through

rewards and punishments for behaviour. Through operant conditioning, an individual makes
an association between a particular behaviour and a consequence. It has two key components
as follows:

1. Reinforcement
 Positive Reinforcement
 Negative Reinforcement

2. Punishment
 Positive Punishment
 Negative Punishment

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REINFORCEMENT

 Positive Reinforcement:

Positive reinforcement is the process that enhances the likelihood of the response or
behaviour, by adding something (pleasant stimulus).
SCENE: Pleasant Stimulus: Appreciation from the teacher
Response: Increase in behaviour of performing good in exam

o The scene shows that Ankur is a hard working student who has scored the highest marks
in the quiz of IGD. The appreciation received from the teacher (Prithvi) has acted as a
positive stimulus for him as he further gets motivated to perform better and better. And,
finally he scores the highest marks in end term of IGD.

 Negative Reinforcement:

Negative reinforcement is the process that enhances the likelihood of the response or
behaviour, by removing something (aversive stimulus).

SCENE: Aversive Stimulus: Public criticism

Response: Increase in behaviour of bathing daily

o The scene shows that Mayur is a guy who has a bad body odour as he do not bathe
regularly. People accompanying him are also feel agitated and don’t want to be around
him. It happens that one day he was publically insulted by one of his group members.
Mayur felt very bad and in order to remove this aversive stimulus of public confrontation
he decides to bathe daily. This behaviour of his is accepted by all.

 Positive Punishment:

Positive Punishment is the process that decreases the reoccurrence of an undesired

behaviour, by adding or implementing an aversive stimulus.

SCENE: Aversive Stimulus: Subgrades

Response: Decrease in behaviour of reaching late to class

o The scene shows that Darshika (student) is usually late to class in most of the lectures. She
was warned by the professors, but there was no change in her behaviour. Therefore, one
day the Professor gave her subgrade (aversive stimulus). As a result, we saw decrease in
her behaviour of reaching late to class.

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 Negative Punishment:

Negative Punishment is the process that decreases the reoccurrence of an undesired

behaviour, by removing pleasant stimulus.

SCENE: Pleasant Stimulus: Mobile Phone

Response: Decrease in behaviour of using mobile phone in class

o The scene shows that Anshul was using mobile phone in class on a regular basis. He was
warned by the professors, but there was no change in his behaviour. One day, again when
the same incident happened the professor confiscated his mobile phone (pleasant
stimulus/item). As a result, his undesirable behaviour of using phone in class decreased.

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