Assignment Topic

The concept of reinforcement is very important in the learning of consumer

preferences. Explain why and discuss this in view of the classical and operant
conditioning theories. Support your answer with examples.

Instructions
The assignment must be submitted in an essay type form (typewritten) and
approximately contain 1000 words. References and quotations must be used if
necessary.
Deadline: 16th of December 2008.
 Behavioural Studies Assignment Report

Introduction

First of all we have to define what is learning. In simple words, learning is the
acquisition of knowledge or skill through memorizing of information. In behavioural
science, however, learning refers to any relatively change in behaviour occurring as
the result of experience or practise.

We can identify three factors as important in every learning situation. First, we have
the most basic form, the association between two connected events. Second, we have
the reinforcement, which is an important factor in building associations and third,
motivation, because the individual is learning to respond in order to achieve a need
reduction.

In this paper, we will deal with the reinforcement in the view of the classical and
operant conditioning theories.

The classical conditioning

During the late 1890’s, Ivan Pavlov, developed his theory about the classical
conditioning and the association of two stimulus(the condition stimulus, CS, and the
unconditioned stimulus, UC) His famous experiment with dogs established these
concepts. He studied salivation in dogs as part of his research. Dogs salivated when
food was presented, but Pavlov wanted to find out why dogs salivated when they saw
the person who fed them. So, he was interested to discover if dogs could train to
salivate at the sound of bell or to the light. When was time to feed his dogs, he rung a
bell and measured the amount of saliva produced. After some repeats of this
procedure, he rang the bell without presenting any food, and he noted that the amount
of saliva produced by the dog was the same as before. So, in scientific terms, the
procedure of classical conditioning is as below:

1. Food is the unconditioned stimulus, and the salivation the unconditioned

response

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 Behavioural Studies Assignment Report

2. The bell before conditioning is the neutral stimulus and there is no conditioned
response

3. During conditioning the response to the bell and food is salivation, the
unconditioned response

4. Salivation to the bell after conditioning is the salivation, a conditioned

response to the conditioned stimulus.

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Pavlov discovered that if he conditioned a stimulus in lesser extend, the stimulus

respond will activated as well. This is called stimulus generalization, which is
very important in product promotion in the way of the existence of positive
association in a particular product to other similar products. For example, you can
transfer the established association from a brand to a product with a similar name
in the same category or even with similar product in other category. So, the
marketer has to have in consideration the way that consumers have to associate
their products with ones needs in order to differentiate from their competitors,
increase their sales and built loyalty.

Extinction is the gradual weakness of strength of the conditional response, if it’s

not reinforced by the unconditioned stimulus. This occurs when the unconditioned
stimulus is not followed by the conditioned stimulus.

Everyday examples of classical conditioning

- You have a meal at a fast food restaurant that causes food poisoning. The next
time you see a sign for that restaurant, you feel nauseous.
- The housewife who purchases a new product, because of a price discount
scheme, may continue to purchase this product even when the discount scheme
has ended, if the product is in good enough quality or performance.

Operant Conditioning

Operant or instrumental conditioning is a method of learning that occurs through

rewards and punishments for behaviour. Through operant conditioning, an association
is made between behaviour and a consequence for that behaviour. The theory above
was developed by B. F. Skinner and the famous rat experiment in the “Skinner Box”.
There was a lever at one end and when the hungry rat pressed the lever, a mechanism
operating a food or water delivery. So, it noted that, the rat was motivated towards a
goal, a basic need, hunger. After a while, the rat associated the lever pressing with
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attainment of its goal and pressing the lever became a learned response to its hunger
motive. The essential feature of that theory is that reinforcement follows a specific
response.

Everyday examples of operant conditioning

- When people answer the doorbell, this is an example of operant conditioning.
The person respond voluntary and normally answers the doorbell, because of the
need of socialization and not because is forced to.
- If children bring good marks at school, they earn something they want or like
a lot. In business environment, a bonus or promotion will be given if employees
finish their project under a deadline. In these cases, a promise or a possibility to
gain something more than the normal causes an increase in behaviour.

Reinforcer is any event that increases the behaviour that follows. We have two
kinds:

- Positive reinforcement, which are events or outcomes that are presented after
the behaviour. When a consumer purchases a product and is satisfied, his
behaviour will be positively reinforced and the most probably is that he will
purchase the product again. If this continue few times, might be become a learned
response and a brand loyalty will be established.

- Negative reinforcement, which is the removal of an unfavourable event after

the display of the behaviour. If a defective product does not live up the
manufacturer, then the purchase of that product might be negatively reinforced by
consumers.

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Comparison between Classical and Operant

Conditioning
See at the table below some of the differences between the two kinds of conditioning:

Classical ConditioningOperant ConditioningLearning through associationLearning

through reinforcement Concerned with a reflex or automatic responseConcerned with
voluntary behaviourReinforcement is presented before CRReinforcement occurs after
CRThe reinforcement is not related to anything the organism might doThe organism
is instrumental in obtaining reinforcement

Resources

Behavioural studies lecture note

http://www.furthereducationlessontrader.co.uk/psychologyclassicalandoperantconditi
oning.htm

(http://psychology.about.com/od/behavioralpsychology/a/introopcond.htm

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