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Classical Conditioning demonstration (courtesy of Joseph Swope via PSYCHTEACHER listserv 9/10/13)
This demonstration requires a teacher who paces during lectures and is not afraid of annoying the students. For a few weeks before the unit on classical conditioning, the teacher should push the top of the pen of a student in the front row such that the bottom of the pen makes a mark on the students' paper. The instructor should do this for every student in the front row. It is terribly annoying, but the instructor should do this a few times every class before the unit on conditioning. After only a few trials, the students will associate the instructor's presence near their desks with pens being jostled. As a result, after only a few classes of this the instructor can simply walk by each of the student's desk and watch them automatically pick up their pen until the instructor has passed by. Once the instructor reveals that students have been trained, a discussion should ensue as to whether it was classical conditioning or operant conditioning. Note: even though the students cognitively understand why their pens were annoyingly jostled, the effect is long lasting and students will pull their pen from the paper for weeks afterward.
Operant conditioning
Several examples of types of reinforcement/punishment and schedules of reinforcement. Tips for teaching operant conditioning.
Classical Conditioning in a Comic Strip (provided by Sue Frantz)
Visit this comic strip. Ask students to work in pairs or small groups to identify the US, UR, CS, and CR.
Answer: US -- eating treats; UR -- salivation; CS -- sound of ripping bag; CR -- salivation.
Visit this comic strip. Ask students to work in pairs or small groups to identify the US, UR, CS, and CR.
Answer: US -- going for a walk; UR -- being excited; CS -- hearing the word walk; CR -- being excited
Classical Conditioning (ToP article)
Animal Learning Laboratory
Discussion Board Prompts for an entire Learning Course, organized by Topic. Created by Kiersten Baughman, Valley City State U (via STP's Facebook Page)
Psychology of Learning Discussion Board Prompts.docx
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