Skinner and Operant Conditioning

What is Operant conditioning?

Operant conditioning is learning by consequence

Where was operant conditioning demonstrated?

Operant conditioning was demonstrated in the ‘Skinner’s Box’ experiments where

• the pleasant experience was the receiving of the food

• the unpleasant experience was the receiving of an electric shock

What was placed in the box/cage in the Skinner’s Box experiment?

A rat/pigeon was placed in the box/cage and subjected to different experiences to dis/encourage certain behaviours

What is reinforcement?

Reinforcement is encouraging a behaviour

What is punishment?

Punishment is discouraging a behaviour

What is meant by positive?

Positive means adding an experience

What is meant by negative?

Negative means subtracting an experience

What is positive reinforcement?

Positive reinforcement is encouraging a behaviour by adding a pleasant experience (provision of a food pellet)

What is positive punishment?

Positive punishment is discouraging a behaviour by adding an unpleasant experience (provision of an electric shock)

What is negative reinforcement?

Negative reinforcement is encouraging a behaviour by subtracting an unpleasant experience (removal of an electric shock)

What is negative punishment?

Negative punishment is discouraging a behaviour by subtracting a pleasant experience (removal of a food pellet) 

What happens when a gambler wins a bet in terms of behaviourism/operant conditioning?

When a gambler wins a bet, it rewards their behaviour (positive reinforcement), but if they won every time, they would soon get bored, as there is no thrill or exhilaration to the behaviour (i.e., extinction).

What happens when a gambler loses a bet in terms of behaviourism/operant conditioning?

When a gambler loses a bet, it punishes their behaviour (negative/positive punishment), and they would stop due to the added feeling of guilt/shame or simply because they ran out of money.

What is the key for a betting company?

The key for a betting company is to give out enough wins to keep people on the hook but not so many as to reduce the thrill or bankrupt the company; essentially, that's the way that all gaming works