Introduction

Classical conditioning is a learning process first discovered by the Russian physiologist Ivan
Petrovich Pavlov in the early 1900s. The discovery was accidental and happened while he
was conducting experiments on digestion in dogs. His whole experiment dealt with his
experiment on his dog Circa. He went on to dedicate his whole life to find out the underlying
principles of Classical Conditioning and also went on to win Nobel Prize for his contribution
in the field of psychology. Classical Conditioning is a form of associative learning which
deals with learning of a new behavior via associating various stimuli. Classical Conditioning
theory deals with the concept of pairing two or more stimulus and then relating the output
response with different stimuli. Simply put, an organism is conditioned in such an
environment that it produces the conditioned response from the conditioned stimulus. The
conditioned stimulus is neutral prior to the experiment. The repetitive trial of pairing the
neutral stimulus with the unconditioned stimulus leads to the neutral or conditioned stimulus
causing the organism to produce the conditioned response.

OPERANT CONDITIONING

Operant Conditioning may be defined as a type of learning where people learn to repeat
behaviors that bring them pleasurable outcomes and to avoid behaviors that lead to
uncomfortable outcomes. Operant conditioning can be described as a process that attempts to
modify behavior through the use of positive and negative reinforcement. Through operant
conditioning, an individual makes an association between a particular behavior and a
consequence. The term “operant conditioning” originated by the behaviorist B. F. Skinner,
who believed that one should focus on the external, observable causes of behavior (rather
than try to unpack the internal thoughts and motivations)
The application of classical conditioning and operant conditioning in management

Classical conditioning can be defined as a progression of events where an unconditioned stimulus

follows a conditioned stimulus. Normally, the unconditioned stimulus results in an unconditioned
response but when conditioning or training is involved, it can cause a conditioned response (Horton &
Turnage, 1976). First, it can help explain why punitive or disciplinary actions should be avoided
or used with caution. Second, managers may find an understanding of classical conditioning useful
in modifying their own behavior. 

For instance, one of your employees may have a phobia they struggle with or a situation that makes
them nervous or agitated. Paying attention to the way people react to various environments or
situations can only help you be a better manager. Perhaps the previous manager of your auto shop
made a habit of berating employees in his office, and you’ve noticed that calling employees to the
office makes them upset or harder to deal with. One way of handling this would be to avoid the
stimulus, in this case the room they associate with feeling bad. Hold meetings or evaluations
elsewhere. Another way to handle this would be to try to make them associate that room with good
things so they can override their previous conditioning. Either way, you acknowledge and work with
their conditioned response instead of against it.

Many types therapy have evolved from studying classical conditioning. Some of these would be
relatively easy to implement in the workplace. For instance, a time clock that makes a loud noise
whenever someone punches in late would create conditioned responses such as flinching at the sound
of the noise and being embarrassed). In order to avoid that stimulus and the conditioned response,
many employees would try harder to be on time. This approach has worked for many people to break
bad habits such as smoking.

It would be wonderful if you could train people to do what you would like them to do by ringing a
bell, as the story about Pavlov’s dog goes, but just studying the basics of psychology can help
managers better understand their employees and create strategies that help them perform better in the
workplace.
Operant conditioning, however, deals with learned, not reflexive behavior; it works by reinforcing
(rewarding) and punishing behavior based on the consequences it produces.
Organizational management literature often refers to operant conditioning as part of reinforcement
theory and work behavior modification.

Operant conditioning is a powerful tool for managing people in organization. Most behavior in
organizations are learned, controlled and altered by the consequences, i.e., operant behaviors.
Management can use the operant conditioning process successfully to control and influence the
behavior of the employees by manipulating its reward system. If one expects to influence behavior,
he/she must also be able to manipulate the consequences. Organizations can use positive
reinforcement to condition the brain by rewarding positive or desired behaviors. This type of operant
conditioning at work is common, most often in the form of raises, bonuses, promotions and other
forms of awards or recognition that directly relate to a job well done.
In operant conditioning, reinforcement is given only when the correct response is made. According to
Skinner, the consequences determine the likelihood that the given operant will be performed in the
future. To change behavior, the consequences of that behavior must be changed. Operant conditioning
is a powerful tool for managing people in organizations. Most behaviors in organizations are learnt,
controlled and altered by the conditioning process successfully to control and influence the behavior
of the employees by manipulating its reward system. If one expects to influence behavior, he must
also be able to manipulate the consequences.

For example
The application of classical and operant conditioning in education
Many things of the school-subjects are learnt more adequately through this process. Reading
writing, spelling or habits are learnt more effectively through the process of conditioning.
Direct method of teaching English is just a process of conditioning. We learn many things in
a better way through this process; and that is perhaps the reason why language is more
efficiently learnt by living in the society in which it is spoken. Classroom procedures are
often far removed from the natural procedures required for the process of conditioning.
Languages are not taught as they ought to be in connection with many vivid and widely
different experiences. If the regulations, commands and virtues are followed by the friendly
behavior and the most sympathetic attitude of the teacher, he can bring about a complaint
emotional tone in the class that no amount of punishment can accomplish. But, uniformity of
procedure is essential. Voluntary action may be controlled through reasoning, punishment
and reward, but if its involuntary basis is neglected it will not endure. In conditioning
involuntary responses are controlled through the cue stimuli.

In Brief, applications of classical and operant conditioning in education can

be explained through the following points:

1. Theory of Reward and Punishment:

Theory of reward and punishment is also based on conditioning. Children know that they will
be punished as a result of wrong actions and they will be rewarded as a result of good deeds.
Thus, for the conditioning of the child it is essential to punish him for his misdeeds and give
him reward for distinctions. This thing motivates the children in the classroom.

2. Useful in Language Learning:

The teacher can utilize this conditioning method in the classroom for teaching the languages.
Conditioning is much useful in language training, particularly Sanskrit language. The correct
use of the language makes the child conditioned for the use of that particular language. Apart
from Sanskrit language, this conditioning method is quite effective to the learning of subjects
like Mathematics.
3. Helpful in Removal of Superstitions:
A teacher can make the use of the conditioning method to eliminate the superstitions of the
children. Certain superstitions like sneezing and passing the cat across your way etc., can be
removed by this method. The teacher has to develop faith in the children through
conditioning that such types of superstitions have no place in real life situations. They have to
be pulled out of his false orbit.
4. Development of Attitudes:
Conditioning may help the child in breaking negative and promoting attitudes. In short, good
and bad habits may be developed in the child through this method of conditioning. Proper
habits can be formed by providing the education of positive behavior and values to the child.
Thus, a teacher should present himself before the children as an ideal. A conditioning
between good examples and responses of the children will help in developing a healthy
attitude in the child.
5. Helpful in Adjustment:
The conditioning method helps the child in adjusting in various types of environments. The
beginning of this takes place with the adjustment of the child in class room conditions and
school circumstances. Later, he applies all this to make adjustment in real life challenging
situations. It is the conditioning only that enables the child to make way in difficult and odd
circumstances.
6. Use of Audio-Visual Aids:
The use of audio-visual aids in the class room can be made effective through conditioning.
For example, if a word parrot is to be taught to the children in the class, then the picture of
the parrot must be shown to them along with the word written on the Black-Board. Children
will speak that word after looking the picture. Then the picture is removed and the children
will repeat only the written word. Thus, the children could learn to speak the word parrot as a
result of conditioning.
7. Arousal of Fear, Love and Jealousy:
The conditioning helps in accelerating the development of fear, love and jealousy among the
students in the classroom. For instance, if a teacher beats any child excessively or he makes
fun of him in the midst of his classmates, then, quite naturally that child will show the fear or
jealousy for that teacher even after hearing his name only. On the contrary, if a teacher
exhibits love and affection for students, in return, the students will show full regard for that
teacher.
The application of classical and operant conditioning in health

Various behavior therapies draw upon CC theory to help patients change unwanted behaviors
and manage anxiety symptoms, addictions, phobia disorders, PTSD symptoms and more.
Research has demonstrated that classical conditioning alters human behavior. It’s a key focus
in behavior therapy, which is an approach that focuses on reinforcing desired behaviors and
eliminating undesired behaviors and is often used help drug users deal with cravings.

here are some situations in which aspects of classical conditioning can provide benefits in
therapy:

 It’s used in therapeutic techniques like aversion therapy, systematic desensitization

and flooding, which help treat anxiety/fear.

 Aversion therapy encourages individuals to give up undesirable habits by causing

them to associate the habit with an unpleasant effect.

 Systematic desensitization, a type of exposure therapy, involves repeated exposure to

something that is causing someone anxiety while that person remains in a relaxed
state. It’s done in order to remove a fear response associated with a phobia by using
the body’s natural relaxation response instead. This causes a positive response to
replace a negative response that was previously associated with a harmless stimulus.

 Flooding is similar to desensitization but is done in a more intense way.

 Drug counselors advise users to avoid settings that could trigger cravings and a desire
to take drugs.

 There are also some treatments that involve having alcoholics ingest bitter substances
that cause them to feel sick when they drink, making it less desirable to do so.

 Another example is for people (or animals) who bite their nails; they apply a
substance to their fingernails that causes nausea when it’s consumed.

Applications to mental health

Classical conditioning is used both in understanding and treating phobias. A phobia is an

excessive, irrational fear to something specific, like an object or situation. When you develop
a phobia, classical condition can often explain it.

For example, if you have a panic attack in a certain place — like an elevator — you may
begin to associate elevators with panic and begin avoiding or fearing all elevator rides.
Experiencing a negative stimulus can affect your response. The important thing to remember
is that phobias are based on irrational fears. Just as classical conditioning may have played a
part in “learning” that phobia, it can also help treat it by counterconditioning.
Operant Conditioning in Therapy

operant conditioning therapy Kumar, Sinha, Dutta, and Lahiri (2019) used virtual reality
(VR) and operant conditioning to help stroke patients use their paretic leg more often. Stroke
patients tend to place more weight on their non-paretic leg, which is typically a learned
response. Sometimes, though, this is because the stroke damages one side of their brain.

The resulting damage causes the person to ignore or become “blind” to the paretic side of
their body.

Kumar et al. (2019) designed the V2BaT system. It consists of the following:

1. VR-based task
2. Weight distribution and threshold estimator
3. Wii balance board–VR handshake
4. Heel lift detection
5. Performance evaluation
6. Task-switching modules

Using Wii balance boards to measure weight displacement, they conditioned participants to
use their paretic leg by offering an in-game reward (stars and encouragement). The balance
boards provided readings that told the researchers which leg was used most during weight-
shifting activities.

They conducted several normal trials with multiple difficulty levels. Intermediate catch trials
allowed them to analyze changes. When the first catch trial was compared to the final catch
trial, there was a significant improvement.

Operant and classical conditioning are the basis of behavioral therapy. Each can be used to
help people struggling with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). People with OCD
experience “recurring thoughts, ideas, or sensations (obsessions) that make them feel driven
to do something repetitively” (American Psychiatric Association, n.d.). Both types of
conditioning also are used to treat other types of anxiety or phobias.
Application of classical and operant condition in business management

To Make Classical Conditioning Work for Your Brand through advertisement

Try pairing your brand with something that produces a reward. For instance, offer a bonus
deal or incentive that gives customers free products once they purchase a certain number of
products. This activates a reward response. The customer learns to associate your brand with
a good deal. That lasting impression can actually cause people to assume that they're getting a
good value even when you don't have a promotion running.

Another popular technique is to market your product in a way that forms an association with
feelings of happiness, satisfaction and success. Many successful brands do this. When you
think of Christmas, how do you feel? For most people, the Christmas season elicits feelings
of joy and happiness. Coca-Cola knows this, and so the beverage company has been
associating its ads with Christmas since the 1920s. (Full disclosure: I have worked with
several of Coke's C-suite executives.) Perhaps try images that feature groups of friends
having fun or a person taking control of their morning routine. These types of images can
make your product look like a gateway to positive experiences.

Operant conditioning can be applied at the workplace in various ways, from instituting
corporate culture and addressing interactions between employees to helping an organization
achieve its annual targets and to make tight your business.

Below are some ways operant conditioning can be useful at the workplace:

 Increased Productivity

Positive reinforcement, one of the key components of operant conditioning, can be used to
increase productivity at the workplace. Providing employees with positive reinforcement –
through verbal praise and through incentives such as bonuses, generous perks and pay
increases can motivate employees to work harder, leading to increased productivity for the
entire organization.

 Corporate Culture

Company culture is very important. It affects everything, from employee satisfaction to

performance and how your organization is perceived in the media. To cultivate a great
company culture, managers should identify the behaviors that need to be encouraged within
the workplace and those that need to be discouraged. They can then come up with a system of
rewards and punishments that are in line with the company’s desired culture.

 Teamwork

Having your employees work in teams is a great way of harnessing the benefits of both
reinforcement and punishment. Working in teams can help your employees cover each
other’s weaknesses and achieve their targets, helping them receive praise or promotions
(reinforcement). At the same time, if certain members of the team are not working as hard as
they should, they will incur negative backlash (punishment) from their team members, thus
discouraging them from slacking off in future. This way, working as a team provides
reinforcement for good performance and hard work and at the same time provides
punishment for those who go against the grain.

 Using Sales as a Reward

Reinforcement is also commonly used to boost performance in sales departments. Many

businesses provide bonuses for sales people who hit their targets. The bonus acts as positive
reinforcement for achieving their targets. This motivates the sales people to learn everything
they need to do in order to close more sales, hit their targets and get the bonus.

conclusion

Developed by behaviorists, even though both classical and operant conditioning focus on the
observable responses of the subjects, there are many differences between them based on the
nature of the response, the role of learners, the involved reinforcement and the nature of
learning.

Because these main differences, each of them has their own area to implement. Considering
in workplaces, operant conditioning seems to be superior to classical one; therefore, operant
conditioning is also included in the most favorable theories in organizational management
literature. However, when applying operant conditioning in management, some certain
paradigms should be considered, such as the type of the reinforcement implemented and the
schedule of reinforcement, in order to achieve the organizational goals.