Kondisjonering

Kondisjonering, also known as conditioning, is a psychological process in which a neutral stimulus comes to evoke a response that was originally evoked only by a different stimulus. This phenomenon was first described by Ivan Pavlov, a Russian physiologist, in his studies of classical conditioning. Pavlov's most famous experiment involved conditioning a dog to salivate at the sound of a bell, which originally only elicited salivation when the dog was presented with food.

In classical conditioning, a neutral stimulus (e.g., a bell) is paired with an unconditioned stimulus (e.g., food) that naturally elicits an unconditioned response (e.g., salivation). Through repeated pairings, the neutral stimulus comes to evoke the same response as the unconditioned stimulus. This process involves the formation of an association between the neutral stimulus and the unconditioned response.

Operant conditioning, on the other hand, involves learning that occurs through consequences of behavior. B.F. Skinner, an American psychologist, is known for his work in this area. In operant conditioning, behaviors are reinforced or punished, leading to an increase or decrease in the likelihood of that behavior occurring in the future. For example, a child may learn to behave well in school because they receive positive reinforcement, such as praise or rewards, when they do so.

Both classical and operant conditioning play significant roles in learning and behavior modification. Understanding these processes can help in various fields, including psychology, education, and behavior therapy.