Operant conditioning (positive & negative)

Unit 5

respondent behavior

behavior that occurs as an automatic response to some stimulus

operant conditioning

a type of learning in which behavior is strengthened if followed by a reinforced or diminished if followed by a punisher

operant behavior

behavior that operates on the environment, producing consequences

law of effect

principle that behaviors followed by favorable consequences become more likely, and that behaviors followed by unfavorable consequences become less likely

operant chamber

a chamber containing a bar that an animal can manipulate to obtain food or water reinforcer, attached devices record the animal’s rate of bar pressing or key pecking

shaping

opernat conditioning procedure in which reinforcers guide behavior toward closer and closer approximations of the desired behavior

successive approximations

reward responses that are ever-closer to the final desired behavior and ignore everything elsed

discriminative stimulus

a stimulus that elicits a response after association with reinforcement

reinforcer

any event that strengthens the behavior it follows

positive reinforcement

increase behaviors by presenting positive stimuli, such as food. a positive reinforcer is any stimulus that, when presented after a response, strengthens the response

negative reinforcement

increase behaviors by stopping or reducing negative stimuli, such as shock, a negative reinforcer is any stimulus that, when removed after a response, strengthens the response

primary reinforcer

an innately reinforcing stimulus such as one that satisfies a biological need

conditioned reinforcer aka secondary reinforcer

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

continuous reinforcement

reinforcing the desired response every time it occurs

partial (intermittent) reinforcement

reinforcing a response only part of the time; results in slower acquisition of a response but much greater resistance to extinction that does continuous reinforcement

fixed ratio schedule

a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response only after a specified number of responses

variable-ratio schedule

a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response after an unpredictable number of responses

fixed-interval schedule

a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response only after a specified time was elapsed

variable-interval schedule

a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response at unpredictable time intervals

cognitive map

a mental representation of the layout of ones environment

latent learning

learning that occurs but is not apparent until there is a incentive to demonstrate it

insight

a sudden and often novel realization of the solution to a problem

intrinsic motivation

a desire to perform a behavior effectively for its own sake

extrinsic motivation

a desire to perform a behavior effectively to receive promised rewards or avoid threatened punishment

positive punishment

an unpleasant stimulus added after an unwanted behavior

negative punishment

removes a desirable stimulus immediately after the behavior occurs