Name:
Date:
Period:
DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN CLASSICAL AND OPERANT CONDITIONING
Directions: Read the following scenarios carefully. Determine if it is an example of operant or classical
conditioning. Then, if it is classical conditioning, identify the UCS, UCR, CS, and CR. If it is operant
conditioning, identify if it is positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, punishment, or omission training.
1. _______________________conditioning: Karen goes to the gym four days a week to alleviate her
stress.
___________________________________________________________________________________
2. _______________________conditioning: Every time she opens the garage door, Julie’s dogs begin to
salivate uncontrollably because that is where their food is kept.
___________________________________________________________________________________
3. ______________________ conditioning: When Thomas was caught writing on the wall with his
markers, his markers were taken away from him.
__________________________________________________________________________________
4. ______________________ conditioning: When Abdul came home with all A’s and B’s on his report
card, he was given $20.
__________________________________________________________________________________
5. _____________________ conditioning: When pairing a red light with a female pigeon, a male pigeon
becomes sexually aroused. Eventually, the red light alone will cause the arousal.
____________________________________________________________________________________
6. _____________________ conditioning: Little Albert cries at the sight of Santa Clause because he
learned that white, fuzzy things scare him when they were paired with a loud noise in the lab.
____________________________________________________________________________________
7. ____________________ conditioning: When little Mary throws her food on the floor she receives a
slap to her hand and a firm, “No!”
_____________________________________________________________________________________
8. ___________________ conditioning: Dwight wants a mint every time he hears Jim turn on his
computer.
______________________________________________________________________________________
CLASSICAL CONDITIONING PRACTICE
In each situation, identify the unconditioned stimulus (US), the unconditioned response (UR), the neutral
stimulus (NS) the conditioned stimulus (CS),and the conditioned response (CR).
1. Pavlov was able to condition dogs to salivate to the sound of bell. Food alone will cause dogs to
salivate, but when the food was paired with a bell, eventually, the food alone would cause salivating.
US: __________________________________________ UR: ___________________________________
NS: __________________________________________
CS: __________________________________________ CR: ___________________________________
2. A passenger on a plane flight was anxious about a job interview that day. A few weeks later when he
wanted to go visit relatives out of state, he suddenly felt anxious about flying.
US: __________________________________________ UR: ___________________________________
NS: __________________________________________
CS: __________________________________________ CR: ___________________________________
3. Female pigeons will stimulate excitement in male pigeons. In a famous study, female pigeons were
paired with a red light which resulted in the red light causing excitement in male pigeons.
US: __________________________________________ UR: ___________________________________
NS: __________________________________________
CS: __________________________________________ CR: ___________________________________
4. When you were very young you ate a whole lot of EZ cheese (that spray fake cheese). Later that night,
you got very, very sick and threw up because of a virus. You were never able to eat EZ cheese again.
US: __________________________________________ UR: ___________________________________
NS: __________________________________________
CS: __________________________________________ CR: ___________________________________
5. Mr. Edwards knows that the sounds of the ocean are calming. Whenever he gives a test, to reduce
anxiety in his students, he plays a recording of ocean sounds. None of his students ever complain of test
anxiety.
US: __________________________________________ UR: ___________________________________
NS: __________________________________________
CS: __________________________________________ CR: ___________________________________
6. Rats can be trained to move from one place to another by a sound signal. In some labs, the wire floor
of a rat’s cage can be rigged to conduct an electric shock result in a rat jumping to another “safe” location
in the cage. By pairing a buzzer sound with the electric shock, rats can be taught to move to another
location in the cage by the sound of the buzzer alone.
US: __________________________________________ UR: ___________________________________
NS: __________________________________________
CS: __________________________________________ CR: ___________________________________
Name:
Date:
Period:
OPERANT CONDITIONING SCENARIOS
Directions: Read each scenario below. Describe the response to the behavior as it would apply to you. After our
discussion, identify which category of operant conditioning applies.
1. You get caught saying a bad word (maybe as a young child).
Response: _____________________________________________________________________
Type of operant conditioning: _____________________________________________________
2. You get caught sneaking out of your house.
Response: _____________________________________________________________________
Type of operant conditioning: _____________________________________________________
3. You make a bad grade on your report card.
Response: _____________________________________________________________________
Type of operant conditioning: _____________________________________________________
4. You get your cell phone taken up at school.
Response: _____________________________________________________________________
Type of operant conditioning: _____________________________________________________
5. You trip and drop your lunch all over the lunch room.
Response: _____________________________________________________________________
Type of operant conditioning: _____________________________________________________
6. You get stopped for speeding.
Response: _____________________________________________________________________
Type of operant conditioning: _____________________________________________________
7. You make straight A’s on your report card.
Response: _____________________________________________________________________
Type of operant conditioning: _____________________________________________________
8. You give your best friend (or boyfriend/girlfriend) a really great gift.
Response: _____________________________________________________________________
Type of operant conditioning: _____________________________________________________
9. The child you are babysitting throws a temper tantrum because he/she wants a piece of candy.
Response: _____________________________________________________________________
Type of operant conditioning: _____________________________________________________
10. You break curfew or are caught being somewhere/doing something not suppose to be.
Response: _____________________________________________________________________
Type of operant conditioning: _____________________________________________________