Personality Theories, Behavioral

Classical Conditioning

Classical conditioning, typically attributed to Ivan Pav1ov, focuses on the responses of an individual to a particular stimulus in the environment. The response is considered automatic on the part of the individual, with no cognitive interpretation of the stimulus or internal debate regarding how to respond. Watson, one of the first pioneers of behaviorism, further studied this form of stimulus-response learning.

In the classical conditioning paradigm, a previously neutral stimulus comes to elicit a response by serving as a signal for another stimulus that normally elicits that response. Pav1ov conditioned the response of salivation in dogs to the sound of a tone by repeatedly preceding the presentation of food with the sound of the tone. The tone, originally a neutral stimulus, became a signal for the food, and thus elicited salivation similar to the actual presentation of the food.

Later, Watson showed that even emotional responses could be subject to classical conditioning. He worked with a child known as “Little Albert,” in whom Watson was able to condition a fear response to a white rat. Moreover, this response generalized to other stimuli that were white and furry, similar to the rat.

Operant Conditioning

Operant conditioning emphasizes the effects of environmental contingencies, such as rewards (or reinforcement) and punishment, on the frequency of behavior. Edward Thorndike, in his attempt to formulate a series of “Laws of Learning,” articulated operant learning through the “Law of Effect,” which states that a behavior followed by a “satisfying state of affairs” is likely to occur more frequently. Skinner originated behavior analytic theory based on operant principles, and in fact developed a comprehensive approach to personality based on these same principles. Skinner focused primarily on reinforcement, which he defined as any consequence that increases the likelihood of a response. Moreover, the schedule of reinforcement—the frequency and timing of reinforcement for a given behavior—has ramifications for the frequency of the behavior's occurrence, and the likelihood the behavior will continue to occur in the absence of reinforcement. Extinction of a response occurs when the response is no longer elicited due to a continuing absence of reinforcement.

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