Operant Learning

What is operant conditioning

type of learning in which behaviors are emitted to earn rewards or avoid punishments

What is a reinforcer

a stimulus or event that follows a behavior and makes that behavior more likely to occur again

What is a punisher

a stimulus or event that follows a behavior and makes that behavior less likely to occur again

What is Law of effect

Thorndike’s principle that responses are “stamped in” by rewards and “stamped out” by punishments

What is the operant chamber

comes with a bar or key that an animal manipulates to obtain a reinforcer like food or water

The bar or key is connected to devices that record the animal’s response

What is shaping

procedure in which reinforcers guide behavior toward the desired target behavior through successive approximations

What is a positive reinforcer

adds something rewarding following a behavior, making that behavior more likely to occur again

What is a negative reinforcer

removes something unpleasant that was already in the environment following a behavior, making that behavior more likely to occur again

What is a punishment

an aversive event that decreases the behavior it follows

What is a positive punishment

administer an aversive stimulus

(parking ticket)

What is a negative punishment

withdraw a desirable stimulus

(revoke drivers license)

What is superstitious behavior

tendency to repeat behaviors that are followed closely by a reinforcer, even if they are not related

What is learned helplessness

failure to try to avoid an unpleasant stimulus because in the past it was unavoidable