Operant Conditioning Lecture 4: General Principles

Vocabulary-style flashcards covering the key terms and definitions from the lecture on operant conditioning and related concepts.

Operant Conditioning

Learning via reinforcement; consequences of past actions influence future voluntary behavior.

Classical Conditioning

Learning via association; formation of reflexive or involuntary responses to stimuli.

Ivan Pavlov

Pioneer of classical conditioning; demonstrated learning by association.

B.F. Skinner

Key figure in operant conditioning; showed learning via consequences in the Skinner box.

Shaping (successive approximations)

Reinforcing progressively closer steps toward a target behavior.

Reinforcer

A consequence that increases the likelihood of the preceding response.

Punisher

A consequence that decreases the likelihood of the preceding response.

Positive Reinforcement

Adding something to increase a behavior (e.g., ice-cream for homework).

Negative Reinforcement

Removing something to increase a behavior (e.g., relief from discomfort).

Positive Punishment

Adding something to decrease a behavior (e.g., scolding).

Negative Punishment

Removing something to decrease a behavior (e.g., loss of privileges).

Discriminative Stimulus

A stimulus signaling that a particular response will be reinforced or punished.

Three-Term Contingency

Discriminative stimulus → operant response → reinforcing/punishing outcome.

Stimulus Control

Behavior governed by the presence or absence of a stimulus.

Stimulus Generalisation

After reinforcement, responding to similar stimuli as if they were the trained one.

Stimulus Discrimination

Learning to respond differently to different stimuli; precise control.

Schedules of Reinforcement

Rules for when reinforcements are delivered; include CRF and PRF with FR, VR, FI, VI.

Continuous Reinforcement (CRF)

Reinforcement for every instance of the target behavior.

Partial Reinforcement (PRF)

Reinforcement only for some occurrences of the behavior.

Fixed Ratio (FR)

Reinforcement after a fixed number of responses.

Variable Ratio (VR)

Reinforcement after an unpredictable number of responses.

Fixed Interval (FI)

Reinforcement for the first response after a fixed time interval.

Variable Interval (VI)

Reinforcement for the first response after varying time intervals.

Backward Chaining

Training the final step first and then preceding steps toward the start.

Forward Chaining

Training the first step first and moving forward through the sequence.

Bridging

Using a conditioned reinforcer (CS) to bridge the delay between behavior and primary reward.

Conditioned Reinforcer

A stimulus that has acquired reinforcing value through learning.

Real World Learning

Learning without an experimenter; adaptation to environmental feedback.

Superstitious Behaviour

Random reinforcement can create repeated behaviors due to mistaken causal beliefs.

Baiting

Reinforcing approximations that could lead toward the target behavior.

Mimicry

Imitating observed behaviors as a path to learning.

Sculpting

Gradually refining a behavior by reinforcing successive approximations.

The Law of Effect

Responses followed by satisfaction become more likely to recur.

Thorndike

Psychologist who formulated the Law of Effect using puzzle boxes with animals.

Drive (Reward Variables)

Motivation or desire for the reinforcer; higher drive enhances learning.

Size/Magnitude (Reward Variables)

Amount of the reinforcer; larger rewards often accelerate learning but show diminishing returns.

Delay (Reward Variables)

Time between the behavior and reinforcement; shorter delays usually improve learning.

Skinner Box

Experimental chamber used to study operant conditioning with animals.

Reward Variables Summary

Drive, size, and delay collectively influence reinforcement effectiveness.

Punishment vs Reinforcement

Reinforcement increases behavior; punishment decreases behavior.

Punishment Effectiveness Guidelines

Immediate, continuous, and paired with reinforcement of incompatible behavior.

Stimulus Control in Everyday Life

Most everyday behaviors are governed by discriminative stimuli in the environment.

Three-Term Contingency Practical Note

Discriminative stimulus signals when a behavior will be reinforced or punished; the response and outcome follow accordingly.