HITAL
Speeding Ticket-an essay on Classical Conditioning
Psychology 001
Professor Amie Gheewala
Student Name : Urmila Singh Nandy
Student Number: 823 636 915
Due date: November 27th, 2013
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Classical conditioning is a learning process that involves creating an association between
a naturally existing stimulus and a previously neutral one. In this essay I propose to discuss how
classical conditioning contributed to my present driving behavior regarding obeying posted
speed signs on the roads of Toronto city. Furthermore, operant conditioning incorporates into the
classical conditioning to bring about a generalized behavior.
This incident involves my experience driving around a particular intersection in Toronto
(Golfdown Drive and Islington Avenue). The posted sign for driving speed at this particular
intersection is 50 km/hr. Three years ago I was going through this intersection when I failed to
notice the posted speed limit. Since I was driving at 55 km/hr., I was stopped by a police officer
and subsequently issued a traffic violation ticket for speeding. Since then, I have automatically
reduced my speed to below 50 km/hr every time I am driving near this intersection. Furthermore,
this incident has also caused me to involuntarily reduce my speed every time I make eye contact
with a posted speed limit.
During classic conditioning, through repeated presentation of a neutral stimulus with an
unconditioned stimulus (US), a subject can be taught to generate an unconditioned response
(UR) so that the presence of the neutral stimulus alone is able to elicit the unconditioned
response. When this occurs, the neutral stimulus is referred to the conditioned stimulus (CS) and
the response is referred to the conditioned response (CR). It is important to highlight that at the
end of classical conditioning, there is no difference between the UR and the CR. For example, in
Pavlov's classic experiment, the presentation of food (US) produces salivation in the dog as a
natural reflex (UR). When the sound of a bell (neutral stimulus) is presented to the dog alone,
there is no response. However when the bell is repeatedly paired with the US, the dog responds
with the UR. Still the dog is only said to be conditioned when the sound of the bell alone (CS) is
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able to elicit salivation (CR) independent of food (Samuel E.Wood,Ellen G. Wood, Denise Boyd,
Eileen Wood, Serge Desmarais, 2013)
Figure 1: Schematic depicting Pavlov’s experiment to demonstrate classic conditioning
Similar to the aforementioned paradigm, my personal experience involving slowing down
at a particular intersection following the speeding ticket can also be attributed to classic
conditioning. Prior to this incident, this intersection represented a neutral stimulus and would not
generate a specific reflex in me. On the other hand, a traffic speeding violation (US) causes me
to reduce my driving speed (UR) naturally independent of what intersection I am driving on.
Since I happened to be the recipient of a ticket at this particular intersection, the pairing of the
US with the neutral stimulus had such a powerful pairing that I now associate this part of the city
as CS and reduction of speed as CR, even though there are no police officers around.
Surprisingly, classical and operant conditionings are not separate processes, as they have
been known to influence one another. (Jesse E Purdy, Michael R. Markham, Bennnet L.
Schwartz,William C. Gordon, 2001) Operant conditioning is a form of learning in which
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responses come to be controlled by their consequences, and they can be in the form of negative
or positive reinforcements. .The following table gives a clear idea of the difference between the
two types of conditioning.
Classical Conditioning
Operant Conditioning
Involves placing a neutral signal before a
Involves applying reinforcement or
reflex
punishment after a behavior
First described by Ivan Pavlov
First described by B.F Skinner
Focuses on involuntary automatic behaviors
Focuses on strengthening or weakening
voluntary behaviors
Table 1: Differences between Classical and Operant Conditioning
My personal experience involved classical conditioning which did have the influence of
the reinforcement (operant) and resulted in generalization (the tendency for the conditioned
stimulus to evoke similar responses after the response has been conditioned In my case with the
speeding violation, the issue of a traffic violation ticket by police officer represents the US. This
also became the negative reinforcement which in turn resulted in the positive UR of reducing the
car speed. The outcome of all this made me alert to always read posted speed limit signs (CS)
and reducing my speed to 50 kilometer per hour on posted roads (CR). However this was not in
isolation as Generalization also occurred since I slow down my car speed every time I see a sign
posted 50 km/hr on any road. This indicates I did not develop discrimination with regards to the
speed limit posts.
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We can see different examples of classical conditioning in everyday life, e.g. irrational
fears, phobia, anxiety etc. For instance, if someone was driving around Ninth street and had a
crash they will always be anxious whenever they come near that street. Another example relates
to classical conditioning, where environmental cues associated with drug use can become
conditioned stimuli and later produce the conditioned response of drug craving. “Addictions are
difficult to break as we usually surround ourselves with people, paraphernalia or situations that
trigger the behaviour that led to the addiction in the first place. But psychological
conditioning can be used to break bad habits.” (Reichel, 2013). Another example is the media
advertisers who are constantly trying to classically condition us when they show us their
products along with great looking models or celebrities or in situations where people are
enjoying themselves. The advertisers rely on the probability that if the “neutral” product is
associated with people, the object or situations that we particularly like, then in time the product
will elicit a similarly positive response The same goes for television advertisement. (Samuel
E.Wood,Ellen G. Wood, Denise Boyd, Eileen Wood, Serge Desmarais, 2013)
In conclusion, I can relate to several instances of my life which involves classic and
operant conditioning. I am able to identify the factors influencing my responses based on the
theories that I have learned. Furthermore, it is interesting to note that these two forms of
conditioning do not occur in isolation but are often seen to influence each other. I can now also
conclude that my traffic violation made me learn a hard lesson for not obeying the posted speed
limit. Even though there was a negative reinforcement, it still had a positive outcome: I have
become a more competent and alert driver with no more traffic violations against me. It can be
said that psychological conditioning helped me correct a bad habit. (Reichel, 2013)
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References
Jesse E Purdy, Michael R. Markham, Bennnet L. Schwartz,William C. Gordon. (2001). Chapter
6 The iInteraction of classical and operant conditioning. In Learning and Memory (pp.
165-191). Belmont,CA, USA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning.
Reichel, A. (2013, March 6). Breaking bad habits :classical conditioning and smoking.
Retrieved from http:/theconversation.com/breaking-bad-habits-classical-conditioning-and
smoking-11578
Samuel E.Wood,Ellen G. Wood, Denise Boyd, Eileen Wood, Serge Desmarais. (2013). In The
world of psychology (pp. 124-153). Toronto: Pearson.
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APPENDIX
References
page 5
Table 1. Difference between Classical and Operant Conditioning
page 3
Figure 1 : Pavlov’s experiment
page 2
Marking rubric
page 7
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Evaluation of the essay (10%):
Criteria
Introduction – well-written, clearly conveys what you will accomplish in the paper
Mark(s)
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Correct identification of how classical OR operant conditioning works and
identification of the basic components of the conditioning technique chosen
Identifying one of your behaviours and clearly explaining how it might have
developed through classical OR operant conditioning (assigning proper terminology
to the behaviour such as UCS/UCR/CS/CR or PR/NR/PUN). Use of diagrams.
Also, indicating if extinction, generalization or discrimination occurred.
Critical evaluation of the classical or operant conditioning theory (or alternate
theory)
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Concluding paragraph (thoughtful)
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A complete title page and formatting requirements: essay title, student name and
number, course name/code, professor’s name, assignment due date; an appendix page
(for diagrams) and a reference page (with proper in-text referencing).
Use of 2 external sources that are reliable/credible (1 mark)
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