4B: Operant Conditioning

What is operant conditioning?

A form of learning in which behaviour becomes controlled by its consequences; a three-phase process involving reinforcement and punishment.

How is operant conditioning different from classical conditioning?

Classical conditioning involves associating two simultaneous events, while operant conditioning involves learning through consequences (reward or punishment).

What is the three-phase model of operant conditioning?

Skinner found animals and humans learn to operate on their environment to produce desired consequences through voluntary behaviour.

What is an operant?

A voluntary behaviour that acts on the environment without a stimulus and occurs in the same way each time.

What is an antecedent in operant conditioning?

A signal presented before behaviour that cues the consequence (e.g. "Male" on a toilet door or low petrol gauge).

What is a behaviour in operant conditioning?

A voluntary action that affects the environment (e.g. enter toilet, fill car with petrol).

What is a consequence in operant conditioning?

The environmental outcome following the behaviour (e.g. empty bladder, avoid running out of petrol).

What is reinforcement?

Any stimulus that increases the likelihood of a behaviour recurring.

What is positive reinforcement?

Adding a pleasant stimulus to strengthen behaviour.

What is negative reinforcement?

Removing an unpleasant stimulus to strengthen behaviour.

What is punishment?

Any stimulus that decreases the likelihood of a behaviour recurring.

What is positive punishment?

Adding an unpleasant stimulus to weaken behaviour.

What is negative punishment?

Removing a pleasant stimulus to weaken behaviour.

What are the limitations of punishment?

Punishment often only causes temporary suppression of behaviour.

What emotional side effects can punishment produce?

Punishment can cause undesirable emotional responses.

What are reinforcers?

Stimuli that strengthen or increase the likelihood of a response.

What is a positive reinforcer?

A reward that provides a pleasant consequence to strengthen a behaviour.

What is a negative reinforcer?

The removal, reduction, or prevention of an unpleasant stimulus to strengthen behaviour.

What are punishers?

Stimuli that weaken or decrease the likelihood of a response.

What is a positive punisher?

A behaviour followed by a negative experience to reduce the behaviour.

What is a negative punisher?

A form of punishment where something desirable is removed to reduce the behaviour.