6.6 Operant Conditioning Overview

Flashcards covering key concepts related to operant conditioning, its principles, and related terms.

Operant Conditioning

A method of learning that employs rewards and punishments for behavior.

Law of Effect

The principle that behaviors followed by satisfaction are more likely to occur, while those followed by dissatisfaction are less likely to occur.

Operant Box (Skinner Box)

A controlled environment used to study operant conditioning in animals, typically involving tasks to gain rewards or avoid punishments.

Reinforcement

A process that increases the likelihood of a behavior being repeated, often through rewards such as praise or food.

Punishment

A process that decreases the likelihood of a behavior being repeated.

Primary Reinforcer

A stimulus that satisfies basic biological needs and has inherent value, such as food or social validation.

Secondary Reinforcer

A stimulus that has no inherent value but gains its reinforcing qualities through learned associations, such as money.

Dopamine

A neurotransmitter associated with the brain's reward pathways, activated by rewarding stimuli.

Clicker Training

A method of training animals that uses a sound (click) to reinforce desired behaviors, associated with food rewards.

Reflex vs. Voluntary Behaviors

In classical conditioning, responses are automatic (reflexes), whereas in operant conditioning, responses are voluntary actions chosen by the subject.