Posted: February 10th, 2016

Ten-year-old Billy has started to use foul language in casual conversation just as his mother does. She laughs when Billy uses this language and does not see it as an issue.

This discussion has two options.  Select one of the options and indicate which one you chose in your response.

Option A:

Learning through classical conditioning occurs across the lifespan. It can be associated with pain (like a trip to the dentist), or with pleasure (like the endorphins released in response to exercise). Select one example of learning that can occur through classical conditioning.  You cannot select Pavlov’s experiment that is described in your textbook.  Clearly describe your learning example, and detail each of the following for the example you selected:

• Unconditioned stimulus > Unconditioned Response
• Conditioned Stimulus > Unconditioned Response
• Conditioned Stimulus >Conditioned Response

Option B:

Ten-year-old Billy has started to use foul language in casual conversation just as his mother does. She laughs when Billy uses this language and does not see it as an issue. It is only when Billy gets in trouble and his mother is called to the school that she recognizes there may be a problem.

As Billy’s school teacher, explain and provide examples of how you would help him overcome the use of this foul language through operant conditioning (e.g., you may use positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, punishment).

Lastly, what advice would you give to Billy’s mom about how she might deal with this problem at home? Be sure to explain the role observational learning plays in this behavior, and what his mother could do differently to help him avoid this behavior.

Your initial post must be a minimum of 200 words and utilize at least one scholarly source (e.g., the course textbook, a peer-reviewed article from the Ashford University Library, or a professional web source), cited according to APA format as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.