What are the differences between classical and operant conditioning? Give examples of studies.

Conditioning refers to behaviour which is leaned. Two main types of conditioning have been identified in Psychology, these are classical and operant conditioning. Classical conditioning refers to behaviour exhibited in response to a previously neutral stimulus following its pairing with an unconditioned stimulus. It is essentially learning through association. The most well known study which investigates classical conditioning stems from Pavlov's dogs experiments whereby dogs learned to salivate in response to a bell not just food. The stages of these experiements are as follows:
Before conditioning: Unconditioned stimulus (food) -> Unconditioned response (salivate)
Before conditioning: Neutral stimulus (bell) -> No conditioned response
During conditioning, pairing: Neutral stimulus (bell) + unconditioned stimulus (food) -> unconditioned response (salivate)
After conditioning: conditioned stimulus (bell) -> conditioned response (salivate)

In contrast to classical conditioning in which behaviours are learned through association and are often automatic, operant conditioning involves learning through reinforcement and punishement. Through his studies on rats, Skinner proposed that if a behaviour was reinforced, it would be more likely to be repeated. However if the behaviour was not reinforced it would be extinguished. Skinner identified that there are positive and negative reinforcers. Positive reinforcement occurs when an individual gains a reward for performing a particular behaviour i.e. rat presses lever and receives a treat. Negative reinforcement occurs when an aversive state is removed to create a more pleasant situation i.e. rat presses lever to stop electric shocks. In contrast, punishment leads to reduced behaviour because performing a particular behaviour has led to an unpleasant situation i.e. rat presses lever and receives shock.