How can understanding classical and operant conditioning help us to understand the way we learn?

By understanding classical and operant conditioning we are able to understand the way we learn. In classical conditioning a neutral stimulus is used along with an unconditioned, which causes us to learn that the neutral stimulus will cause the same response as the unconditioned stimulus. In operant conditioning there would be a reinforcement stimulus after a certain response to an unconditioned stimulus, which causes us to learn that the unconditioned stimuls is either a good thing or a bad thing.

First example: When a teacher tells us to clear their desks, we automatically think that there will be a quiz. This is because we have been classically conditioned. As young students, the first time we were told to clear our desks we had no clue what was going on. Then the teacher gave us a pop quiz. As a result, we think that whenever we are told to clear our desks there must be a pop quiz, even though this is not always true.

Second example: If someone driving a car sees the stoplight turn red, then he knows that he should stop. The reason that he learned this is because one time he ran the stoplight and ended up getting a ticket. He remembers that he was really upset and frustrated about having to pay a lot of money; therefore, whenever he sees a red light he knows that he should stop because of the negative reinforcement, paying a fine.