Ch 6 Vid 2 Skinners Operant Conditioning

Law of Effect

A principle stating that behaviors followed by satisfying outcomes are likely to recur, while those followed by unpleasant outcomes are less likely to reoccur.

Operant Conditioning

A learning process through which the strength of a behavior is modified by reinforcement or punishment.

Respondent Behaviors

Behaviors that are elicited by specific stimuli and are part of classical conditioning.

Operant Behaviors

Voluntary behaviors that an organism performs to influence the environment and that are shaped by consequences.

Free Operant Procedure

A methodology in operant conditioning where the subject can freely engage with the environment, allowing for the measurement of behavior without researcher intervention.

Cumulative Recorder

A device developed by Skinner that records the total number of responses over time, providing a visual representation of behavior frequency.

Emitted Behaviors

Behaviors that are voluntarily performed by an organism, as opposed to being elicited by a stimulus.

Discriminative Stimulus

A stimulus that precedes a behavior and indicates the availability of a consequence, influencing the likelihood of that behavior's occurrence.

Topography of a Behavior

The physical form or characteristics of a behavior, which operant conditioning is less concerned with compared to the consequences of the behavior.

Elicited Behaviors

Behaviors that are triggered in response to a specific stimulus, typical in classical conditioning.