AP Psych Unit 3 | Learning by Reinforcement & Punishment

operant conditioning

a type of learning in which behavior is strengthened or weakened by consequences

the law of effect

behaviors followed by favorable outcomes are more likely to be repeated, while behaviors followed by unfavorable outcomes are less likely to be repeated

reinforcement

any consequence that increases the likelihood of a behavior occurring again in the future

primary reinforcers

things we naturally like, such as food or water

secondary reinforcers

things we learn to like because they’re connected to primary reinforcers or other things we like

reinforcement discrimination

the ability to distinguish between different stimuli and respond appropriately based on the presence or absence of reinforcement

reinforcement generalization

the tendency to respond similarly to different stimuli that are associated with the same reinforcement

positive reinforcement

presenting a desirable stimulus after a behavior to increase the likelihood of that behavior happening again in the future

negative reinforcement

removing an aversive stimulus after a behavior to increase the likelihood of that behavior happening again in the future

punishment

any consequence that decreases the likelihood of a behavior occurring again in the future

positive punishment

adding an aversive stimulus after a behavior to decrease the likelihood of that behavior happening again in the future

negative punishment

removing a desirable stimulus after a behavior to decrease the likelihood of that behavior happening again in the future

shaping

gradually reinforcing behaviors that are closer and closer to the desired behavior, leading to the development of a complex behavior or skill

instinctive drift

animals may go back to their natural instincts instead of learning new behaviors through training (operant conditioning)

superstitious behavior

accidental reinforcement of behaviors, leading to the belief that those behaviors cause a desired outcome, even when they are not

reinforcement schedules

patterns determining when and how often reinforcement is given for a behavior, influencing the rate and persistence of that behavior

continuous reinforcement

reinforcing a behavior every time it occurs

partial reinforcement

reinforcing a behavior only some of the time it occurs

• leads to slower extinction but less consistent response

fixed interval (FI)

reinforcement is delivered after a fixed amount of time has passed since the last reinforcement

• leads to a predictable pattern of behavior

variable interval (VI)

reinforcement is delivered after varying amounts of time have passed since the last reinforcement

• leads to a steady but moderate rate of response

fixed ratio (FR)

reinforcement is delivered after a fixed number of responses

• leads to a high rate of response with short pauses after each reinforcement

variable ratio (VR)

reinforcement is delivered after an unpredictable number of responses

• leads to a high and steady rate of response with minimal pauses