How do animals develop learned behaviour through conditioning?

Animals develop learned behaviour through conditioning by associating stimuli with responses, either through classical or operant conditioning.

In the realm of animal behaviour, conditioning is a process that involves learning associations between stimuli and behavioural responses. This can occur in two main ways: classical conditioning and operant conditioning. Both types of conditioning involve reinforcement, but they differ in how the reinforcement is applied and what it is associated with.

Classical conditioning, also known as Pavlovian conditioning, involves associating an involuntary response and a stimulus. The classic example of this is Pavlov's dogs, who learned to associate the sound of a bell (the stimulus) with being fed (the response). Over time, the dogs began to salivate at the sound of the bell, even when no food was present. This is because the dogs had learned to associate the bell with food, and so they responded as if food was coming whenever they heard the bell. This type of conditioning is often used in animal training, where a specific stimulus (like a whistle or a clicker) is associated with a reward.

Operant conditioning, on the other hand, involves associating a voluntary behaviour and a consequence. This type of conditioning was first described by B.F. Skinner, who used a 'Skinner box' to demonstrate that animals could learn to associate pressing a lever (the behaviour) with receiving food (the consequence). If the consequence is desirable (like food), the behaviour is more likely to be repeated. This is known as positive reinforcement. Conversely, if the consequence is undesirable (like a shock), the behaviour is less likely to be repeated. This is known as negative reinforcement.

In both types of conditioning, the animal learns to associate a stimulus or a behaviour with a certain outcome. This association forms the basis of learned behaviour. Over time, the animal will adjust its behaviour based on these associations in order to maximise positive outcomes and minimise negative ones. This is a fundamental aspect of animal behaviour and is key to understanding how animals adapt to their environments.