Skinners rats - shows operant conditioning and punishment

positive reinforcement

• When placed in the box the rats would knock a lever and immediately a food pellet will be dropped into a container next to the lever

• After a few times of being placed in the box they then learnt to go straight to the lever

• The consequence of receiving food if they pressed the lever ensured that they would repeat the action again and again

  • Positive reinforcement is where a reward encourages a behaviour

Negative reinforcement - a negative reinforcer is something that takes away an unpleasant consequence in order to encourage a behaviour

• Rats placed in Skinner box and then subjecting to an unpleasant electric current which caused it some discomfort.

• As the rat moved about the box it would accidentally knock the lever.

• Immediately it did so the electric current would be switched off.

• The rats quickly learned to go straight to the lever after a few times of being put in the box.

• The consequence of escaping the electric current ensured that they would repeat the action again and again.

Extinction

• When a previous learned behaviour is unlearned. 

• Skinner found that after the rats had learned to press the leaver to receive food, he could get the rats to unlearn this behaviour.

• Skinner stopped feeding the rat when it pressed the lever.

• After the rat had experienced no food after pressing the lever several times, the rat eventually stopped pressing the lever.

• The rat eventually learned that the behaviour had no reward, and therefore stopped doing it.

Reinforcement

Anything that increases the chances of a behaviour being repeated

Types of reinforcement

Primary reinforcers are ones that satisfy a biological need, for example food, drink, sex.

Secondary reinforcers are reinforcers that we have come to associate with primary reinforcers.

• Money: will buy us primary reinforcers  

• Promotion: will get us more money so we can buy primary reinforcers

• Exam success: will help us get promotion so we have more money…

Other secondary reinforcers would include smiles, compliments, gifts etc. Secondary reinforcers are every bit as powerful as primary reinforcers.

Punishment

Anything that discourages and decreases the likelihood of a behaviour being repeated