3.8- Operant Conditioning

Operant Conditioning

Learning based on the consequences of responding

Primary Reinforcer

An innately reinforcing stimulus, such as one that satisfies a biological need

Secondary Reinforcer

Stimulus such as money that becomes reinforcing through its link with a primary reinforcer

Law of Effect

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

Shaping

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

Instinctive Drift

Tendency for animals to return to innate behaviors following repeated reinforcement

Reinforcement

Any event that strengthens the behavior it follows

Punishment

An event that decreases the behavior that it follows

Positive Reinforcement

Increasing behaviors by presenting positive stimuli, such as food

Negative Reinforcement

Increasing behaviors by stopping or reducing negative stimuli, such as shock

Positive Punishment

The administration of a stimulus to decrease the probability of a behavior's recurring

Negative Punishment

The removal of a stimulus to decrease the probability of a behavior's recurring

Superstitious Behavior

A behavior that is repeated because it seems to produce reinforcement, even though it is actually unnecessary

Learned Helplessness

The hopelessness and passive resignation an animal or human learns when unable to avoid repeated aversive events

Continuous Reinforcement

Reinforcing the desired response every time it occurs

Partial Reinforcement

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

Fixed vs Variable Reinforcement

Fixed- rewarded certain amount of times; variable- rewarded a random amount of times

Interval vs Ratio Reinforcement

Interval- based on amount of time; ratio- based on number of responses

Fixed Ratio

Reinforces a response only after a specified number of responses

Variable Ratio

Reinforces a response after an unpredictable number of responses

Fixed Interval

Reinforces a response only after a specified time has elapsed

Variable Interval

Reinforces a response at unpredictable time intervals