3.4.2—Conditioning

Classical conditioning links a cue with an event so that the cue predicts a response. Operant conditioning changes the future probability of behaviour through its consequences: reinforcement increases it and punishment decreases it.

In operant terms, positive means adding and negative means removing; neither means good or bad. Timing, consistency, schedule and the learner's history determine whether a consequence actually changes behaviour.

If checking a phone removes boredom, the behaviour may increase through negative reinforcement. If a tone repeatedly precedes an unpleasant event, the tone can become a conditioned cue even when the event is no longer present.

Conditioning is not just repetition. Name the stimulus or consequence, its timing and the direction of behavioural change before classifying the process.

To apply operant conditioning, define one observable target behaviour and its baseline, identify the antecedent and current consequence, then deliver an immediate and valued reinforcer only after the target response. Begin with an achievable criterion, record frequency, adjust the reinforcement schedule gradually and check whether the behaviour maintains when rewards become less frequent. Punishment may suppress behaviour without teaching an alternative and can create avoidance or ethical harm.