Psychology at a Glance

 

Lobotomies, Classical Conditioning and Operant Conditioning

Level 1 – Easy Read

Lobotomies (Psychosurgery)

A lobotomy was a type of brain surgery used mainly during the 1930s to the 1950s to treat some severe mental illnesses.

Doctors hoped the operation would reduce distress in people with conditions such as:

• Schizophrenia

• Severe depression

• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

The procedure involved cutting or damaging connections in the frontal lobes of the brain.

At the time, doctors had very few effective treatments for severe mental illness, and some believed lobotomies might help.

Unfortunately, many people experienced serious side effects, including:

• Personality changes

• Memory problems

• Loss of motivation

• Difficulty making decisions

• Emotional blunting

• Permanent brain damage

Because of these risks, lobotomies were gradually abandoned as safer and more effective treatments became available.

Today, lobotomies are no longer used as a treatment for mental illness.

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Classical Conditioning

Ivan Pavlov discovered classical conditioning.

This is learning through association.

Example

A dog naturally salivates when it sees food.

If a bell rings every time food is presented, the dog begins to associate the bell with food.

Eventually, the dog salivates when it hears the bell, even if no food is present.

This is called classical conditioning.

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Operant Conditioning

B. F. Skinner developed operant conditioning.

This is learning through the consequences of behaviour.

Behaviours followed by rewarding consequences are more likely to happen again.

Behaviours followed by unpleasant consequences are less likely to happen again.

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Skinner's Box

Skinner created a special piece of equipment called the Skinner Box.

Inside the box, a rat or pigeon learned that pressing a lever or pecking a key produced a reward, such as food.

Over time, the animal repeated the behaviour because it had learned the consequence.

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Four Types of Operant Conditioning

Positive Reinforcement

Adding something pleasant to increase a behaviour.

Example:

A child receives praise for completing their homework.

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Negative Reinforcement

Removing something unpleasant to increase a behaviour.

Example:

A seatbelt alarm stops when you fasten your seatbelt.

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Positive Punishment

Adding something unpleasant to reduce a behaviour.

Example:

A student receives a warning after interrupting the lesson.

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Negative Punishment

Taking away something enjoyable to reduce a behaviour.

Example:

A teenager loses gaming time after breaking a family rule.

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Comparing the Two Types of Learning

Classical Conditioning	Operant Conditioning
Learning through association.	Learning through consequences.
Developed by Ivan Pavlov.	Developed by B. F. Skinner.
Usually involves automatic responses.	Usually involves voluntary behaviours.
Example: A dog salivates when it hears a bell.	Example: A child studies because they receive praise.

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Why Are These Theories Important?

These learning theories are still used today in:

• Schools

• Healthcare

• Psychology

• Animal training

• Behaviour support

• Parenting

• Sports coaching

Understanding how people learn helps teachers, parents, carers, and health professionals support positive behaviour.

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Remember

✔ Classical conditioning is learning through association.

✔ Operant conditioning is learning through consequences.

✔ Positive means adding something.

✔ Negative means removing something.

✔ Reinforcement increases behaviour.

✔ Punishment reduces behaviour.

✔ Lobotomies are no longer used because safer and more effective treatments are available today.