AP Psychology Unit 3.8 Part 1

Operant Conditioning

• First developed by B.F. Skinner 

• Behavioral change occurs as a response to the consequences of the behavior.

Law of Effect

• First developed by Edward L. Thorndike 

• The consequences of the behavior will change the probability of the behavior occurring again. • If the behavior produces a satisfying result, one will do the behavior again

Reinforcement

used to increase a behavior

Punishment

used to decrease a behavior

Positive

to add something

Negative

to subtract something

Positive Reinforcement

add something pleasant to increase a behavior.

Negative Reinforcement

subtract something unpleasant to increase a behavior.

Positive Punishment

add something unpleasant to decrease a behavior.

Negative Punishment

subtracts something pleasant to decrease a behavior.

Primary Reinforcers

They increase the chance of a behavior occurring again without needing special experience or knowledge of the stimulus.

Secondary Reinforcers

A previously neutral stimulus acquires the ability to influence the future probability of a behavior because it is associated with a primary reinforcer.

Shaping or Shaping by Successive Approximations

• A method of operant conditioning. 

• Responses roughly approximating the behavior are reinforced. 

• Later, only behaviors close to the behavior are reinforced. 

• Eventually, only the behavior is reinforced.

Instinctive Drift

Animal research demonstrates that some behaviors learned through operant conditioning eventually return to an innate behavior

Superstitious Behavior

Learned behaviors are when one associates reinforcement or punishment with unrelated behavior.