Intro to Psych: Operant Conditioning Terms

Operant Conditioning

Learning to associate a consequence with a behavior

Reinforcement

any event or stimulus, that when following a response, increases the probability that the response will occur again

Positive reinforcement

something is added to increase likelihood of behavior

Negative reinforcement

something is removed to increase likelihood of behavior

Continuous reinforcement

reinforcement provided for each and every correct response

Partial reinforcement

tendency for a response to be reinforced after some, but not all, correct responses

Fixed ratio schedule

a partial reinforcement schedule that’s predictable and produces a high response rate, with a short pause after reinforcement

Variable ratio schedule

a partial reinforcement schedule that’s unpredictable and yields high steady response rates, with little if any pause after reinforcement

Fixed interval schedule

a partial reinforcement schedule that yields a scallop-shaped response pattern, reflecting a significant pause after reinforcement

Variable interval schedule

a partial reinforcement schedule that’s unpredictable and produces a moderate, steady response rate

Punishment

any event or stimulus, that when following a response, decreases the probability that the response will occur again

Positive Punishment

something is added to decrease likelihood of behavior

Negative Punishment

something is removed to decrease likelihood of behavior