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factors influencing learning a CR are described 3. Intensity of Conditioned Stimuli : This below: influences the course of both appetitive and 1. Time Relations between Stimuli : The aversive classical conditioning. More intense classical conditioning procedures, discussed conditioned stimuli are more effective in below, are basically of four types based on the accelerating the acquisition of conditioned timerelations between the onset of conditioned responses. It means that the more intense the stimulus (CS) and unconditioned stimulus conditioned stimulus, the fewer are the (US). The first three are called forward number of acquisition trials needed for conditioning procedures, and the fourth one conditioning. is called backward conditioning procedure. The basic experimental arrangements of these Activity 5.1 procedures are as follows: a) When the CS and US are presented In order to understand and explain conditioning, together, it is called simultaneous you may carry out the following exercise. Take conditioning. a few pieces of mango pickle on a plate and b) In delayed conditioning, the onset of show it to the students in the classroom. Ask them what they experienced in their mouth? CS precedes the onset of US. The CS Most of your classmates are likely to report ends before the end of the US. some salivation in their mouth. c) In trace conditioning, the onset and end of the CS precedes the onset of US with some time gap between the two. OPERANT/I NSTRUMENTAL C ONDITIONING d) In backward conditioning, the US precedes the onset of CS. This type of conditioning was first investigated It is now well established that delayed by B.F. Skinner. Skinner studied occurrence conditioning procedure is the most effective of voluntary responses when an organism way of acquiring a CR. Simultaneous and trace operates on the environment. He called them conditioning procedures do lead to acquisition operants. Operants are those behaviours or of a CR, but they require greater number of responses, which are emitted by animals and acquisition trials in comparison to the delayed human beings voluntarily and are under their conditioning procedure. It may be noted that control. The term operant is used because the organism operates on the environment. the acquisition of response under backward conditioning procedure is very rare. Conditioning of operant behaviour is called 2. Type of Unconditioned Stimuli : The operant conditioning. unconditioned stimuli used in studies of Skinner conducted his studies on rats and classical conditioning are basically of two pigeons in specially made boxes, called the types, i.e. appetitive and aversive. Appetitive Skinner Box. A hungry rat (one at a time) is unconditioned stimuli automatically elicits placed in the chamber, which was so built that approach responses, such as eating, drinking, the rat could move inside but could not come caressing, etc. These responses give out. In the chamber there was a lever, which satisfaction and pleasure. On the other hand, was connected to a food container kept on the aversive US, such as noise, bitter taste, electrictop of the chamber (see Figure 5.2). When the shock, painful injections, etc. are painful, lever is pressed, a food pellet drops on the harmful, and elicit avoidance and escape plate placed close to the lever. While moving responses. It has been found that appetitive around and pawing the walls (exploratory classical conditioning is slower and requires behaviour),thehungryrataccidentallypresses greater number of acquisition trials, but the lever and a food pellet drops on the plate. aversive classical conditioning is established The hungry rat eats it. In the next trial, after in one, two or three trials depending on the a while the exploratory behaviour again starts. intensity of the aversive US. As the number of trials increases, the rat takes Chapter 5 • Learning 81 Reprint 2026-27