3.8 Operant Conditioning: Concepts and Applications

Operant Conditioning

A type of learning in which a behavior becomes more likely to recur if followed by a reinforcer or likely to recur if followed by a punisher.

Operant Behavior

Behavior that operates on the environment to produce rewarding or punishing behavior.

Law of Effect

Thorndike's principle that behaviors followed by favorable (or reinforcing) consequences become more likely, and that behaviors followed by unfavorable (or punishing) consequences become less likely.

Skinner used Thorndike's Law of Effect to form what?

Technology that revealed principles of Behavioral control

Operant Chamber

In operant conditioning research, a chamber (also known as a skinner box) containing a bar or key that an animal can manipulate to obtain a food or water reinforcer; attached devices record the animal's rate of bar pressing or key pecking.

Reinforcement

In operant conditioning, any event that strengthens the behavior it follows.

Shaping

An operant conditioning procedure in which reinforcers guide behavior toward closer and closer approximations of the desired behavior.

Rewarding Successive Approximations

You reinforce responses that are ever closer to the final desired behavior.

Discriminative Stimulus

In operant conditioning, a stimulus that elicits a response after association with reinforcement (in contrast to related stimuli not associated with reinforcement).

Positive Reinforcement

Increasing behaviors by presenting a pleasurable stimulus. A positive reinforcer is any stimulus that, when present after a response, strengthens the response.

Negative Reinforcement

Increasing behaviors by stopping or reducing an aversive stimulus. A negative reinforcer is any stimulus that, when removed after a response, strengthens the response (Negative reinforcement is not a punishment).

Primary Reinforcers

An innately reinforcing stimulus, such as one that satisfies a biological need.

Conditioned (Secondary) Reinforcers

A stimulus that gains its reinforcing power through its association with a primary reinforcer.

Reinforcement Schedule

A rule stating which instances of a behavior will be reinforced.

Reinforcement schedule

A pattern that defines how often a desired response will be reinforced.

Continuous reinforcement

Reinforcing the desired response every time it occurs.

Partial (intermittent) reinforcement

Reinforcing the desired response every time it occurs.

Fixed-ratio

In operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response only after a specified number of responses.

Variable-ratio

In operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response after an unpredictable number of responses.

Fixed-interval

In operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response only after a specific time has elapsed.

Variable-interval

In operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response at unpredictable time intervals.

Punishment

An event that tends to decrease the behavior that it follows.

Positive punishment

Administer an aversive stimulus.

Negative punishment

Withdraw a rewarding stimulus.

Drawbacks of physical punishment

1. Punished behavior is suppressed, not forgotten. This temporary state may negatively reinforce parent's punishing behavior. 2. Physical punishment does not replace the unwanted behavior. 3. Punishment teaches discrimination among situations. 4. Punishment can teach fear. 5. Physical punishment may increase aggression by modeling violence as a way to cope with problems.

Main criticism of Skinner's beliefs

He dehumanized people by neglecting their personal freedom and by seeking to control their actions.

Basic rule of shaping

Notice people doing something right and affirm them for it.

Steps to changing behavior

1. State a realistic goal in measurable terms and announce it. 2. Decide how, when, and where you will work toward your goal. 3. Monitor how often you engage in your desired behavior. 4. Reinforce the desired behavior. 5. Reduce the rewards gradually.

Basic concept of operant conditioning

Biological constraints predispose organisms to learn associations that are naturally adaptive.

Instinctive drift

The tendency of learned behavior to gradually revert to biologically predisposed patterns.

Operant conditioning; Basic Idea

Learned associations between our behavior and its consequences

classical conditioning; Basic Idea

Learned associations between events we do not control

Response in classical conditioning

Involuntary; automatic.

Response in operant conditioning

Voluntary, operates on the environment.

Acquisition in classical conditioning

Associating events; NS is paired with UCS and becomes CS.

Acquisition in operant conditioning

Associating a response with a consequence (reinforcer or punisher).

Extinction in classical conditioning

CR decreases when CS is repeatedly presented alone.

Extinction in operant conditioning

Responding decreases when reinforcement stops.

Classical Conditioning; Spontaneous Recovery

The reappearance, after a rest period of a weakened CR

Operant Conditioning; Spontaneous Recovery

The reappearance, after a rest period, of a weakened response

Generalization in classical conditioning

The tendency to respond to stimuli similar to the CS.

Generalization in operant conditioning

Responses learned in one situation occurring in other, similar situations.

Discrimination in classical conditioning

Learning to distinguish between a CS and other stimuli that do not signal a UCS.

Discrimination in operant conditioning

Learning that some response, but not others, will be reinforced.