2.2 Operant Conditioning

classical conditioning involves

involuntary responses that are elicited. Some forms of learning involve behaviour's that are emitted or voluntary

operant conditioning

occurs when behaviour is influenced by the consequences that follow it

skinners model of OC involves three phases

• Antecedents: IF a stimulus is present

• Behaviours: AND a behaviour is emitted

• Consequences: THEN consequences will occur

reinforcement

causes behaviour to occur more frequently

positive reinforcement

When a pleasant reward is added

negative reinforcement

When pleasant stimulus is removed

punishment

causes behaviour to occur less frequently

When a pleasant reward is added

it is called positive reinforcement

When an unpleasant stimulus is added

it is called positive punishment

When an unpleasant stimulus is removed

it is called negative reinforcement

When a pleasant stimulus is removed

it is called negative punishment

Thorndike (1898) observed that

a hungry animal places in a box (that could be opened by pulling a string or stepping on a lever) could learn to escape from the box to access food outside it.

Thorndikes law of effect proposes that

a response followed by a pleasant consequence becomes more likely to occur while responses followed by unpleasant consequences become less likely to occur.

Skinner (1948) designed a device

(the Skinner Box) that could deliver both punishment and reward to shape and chain an organism's behaviour

skinner differentiated between

• Primary reinforcers- such as food, water, that are automatic reinforcing and are not leaned which satisfy a need

• Secondary reinforcers-such as money or reward tokens than can replace or be exchanged from a primary reinforcer, but do not directly satisfy a need.

Many reinforcements are given on

sporadic schedules according to their interval,

variable ratio

reinforcement given after variable number of responses

Variable interval

reinforcement given after variable period of time

Fixed ratio:

reinforcement given after a fixed number of responses

Fixed interval:

reinforcement given after a fixed period of time.