If I were asked to define conditioning, I would say that it is the act of using repeated efforts to shape something into what you want. In the context of psychology, conditioning is described as a way of learning. Psychologists classify learning through conditioning into two branches, classical and operant. For both types of conditioning to take place, certain stimuli must be present. Furthermore, there are cases where both classical and operant conditioning are applied. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay In order for classical conditioning to occur, two stimuli must be present. These stimuli are external sources that act to trigger internal responses. The two required for classical conditioning are the conditioned stimulus and the unconditioned stimulus. How the unconditioned stimulus and the conditioned stimulus work can be understood most easily through Pavlov's infamous example. In Ivan Pavlov's experiment, he conditioned dogs to produce saliva whenever a bell rang. The bell served as an unconditioned stimulus and rang every time food was brought to the dogs. This bell was paired with the conditioned stimulus, i.e. the food given to the dogs. Eventually, just hearing the bell might make dogs salivate. When the unconditioned stimulus can elicit a response without the conditioned stimulus, classical conditioning has occurred. A case of classical conditioning in my life was also caused by food, only it didn't make me salivate. My dad took my brothers and me out to eat at Buffalo Wild Wings. I ordered eight boneless chicken wings with parmesan and garlic and ate them all. All was well until about midnight, when my stomach started cramping. I rushed to the bathroom, but unfortunately I didn't make it to the bathroom in time. I then proceeded to projectile vomit all over the toilet, sink, walls and floor. Based on the pain in my abdomen and the amount of vomiting, I believe it was food poisoning. I think my dad, who had to clean up after me, would agree. After that, I couldn't eat wild buffalo wings for years and the thought of it still makes me nauseous. In my case, the conditioned stimulus was the abhorrent vomit I produced, while the unconditioned stimulus was my disdain for Buffalo Wild Wings. Operant conditioning also involves stimulus, but relies more on reward and punishment. Operant conditioning is based on BF Skinner's theory. Skinner's belief is that learning occurs when an individual's response to the stimulus is rewarded. The reward is what encourages repetition of the response. Similarly, if the response to the stimulus is met with punishment, it will not be repeated. Skinner defines the rewards and punishments of operant conditioning as reinforcers. Examples of positive reinforcements are winning, receiving recognition, or earning a prize, while examples of negative reinforcements are being scolded, losing, or getting a bad grade. The most obvious example of operant conditioning I experienced occurred when I was in fifth grade. I had played softball since I was four years old and I loved it. Up until my senior year of playing, I had gotten mostly positive reinforcement from the sport. I knew that if I crossed home plate, caught the ball, or made an out I would receive praise from my coach and teammates. But most importantly for me, I would receive praise from my parents. When softball season approached mine..