Operant Conditioning and Reinforcement Schedules

operant conditioning

learning by associating behaviors with their consequences. behaviors are shaped by their consequences, either reinforcements or punishments

B. F. Skinner

made the theory of operant conditioning

law of effect

Behaviors that result in positive outcomes are strengthened, while behaviors that are followed by negative outcomes are weakened

positive reinforcement

adding something desirable to increase the likelihood of a behavior occurring

negative reinforcement

removing something unpleasant to increase the likelihood of a behavior occurring

primary reinforcers

naturally rewarding because they satisfy basic needs like food, water, or warmth

secondary reinforcers

learned rewards, often associated wtih primary reinforcers

positive punishment

adding something unpleasant to decrease a behavior

negative behavior

when something desirable is removed to decrease a behavior

discrimination

when the individual is able to tell which behaviors get rewarded and which behaviors dont

generalization

the person applies what they learned through conditioning to similar situation

reinforcement discrimination

when an individual learns to respond only to specific cues or signals that indicate when a behavior will be reinforced

reinforcement generalization

when a response that has been reinforced in the presence of one stimulus also occurs in the presence of a similar stimuli

shaping

when reinforcement is used to gradually teach a complex behavior by rewarding small steps that lead towards the final desired behavior

instinctive drift

the limitation in shaping behaviors due to the fact that certain natural behaviors are essentially hardwired into an animal

superstitious behavior

when people mistakenly believe that an action leads to a certain outcome, even though the two things are not connected

reinforcement schedules

when and how often reinforcers are given to an individual

continuous reinforcement

when reinforcement is provided every time a correct behavior is performed

extrinsic motivation

when the individual is motivated to perform a behavior because of an external reward or to avoid an external punishment

intrinsic motivation

when an individual has a desire to do something for their own sake, there is no external punishment or reward

partial reinforcement

when reinforcement does not occur with every correct behavior, making it more resistant to extinction

fixted interval

when reinforcemnt is given to an individual after a set amount of time has passed. creates a scalloped graph

variable interval

when the reinforcement is unpredictable. results in a steady and moderate response rate, but slowest rate of responding

fixed ratio

when reinforcement is given after a specific number of behaviors. high response rate with a short pause after the reward

variable ratio

when reinforcement is provided after an unpredictable number of correct behaviors, leading to a high and steady response rate. most resistant to extinction

learned helplessness

when an individual or animal believes that they cannot influence or change an event in life, even when in reality they can