5/10/23 & 12/10/23: Learning II

Vocabulary:

B.F. Skinner - the most influential behaviorist; improved Thorndike’s Law of Effect: behavior that is reinforced (pos. or neg.) will be repeated

Reinforcer - increases a behavior

Punishment - decreases a behavior; should be used as a last resort

Pos. Reinforcement (Skinner) - you get a reward for increasing certain behavior

Neg. Reinforcement/Escape or Avoidance Learning (Skinner) - increasing a behavior to escape/avoid something

Shaping - (process of) teaching a behavior by rewarding approximations (baby steps) toward it

Chaining - (process of) breaking the behavior down to approximations + teaching the final behavior first

Social (Observational) Learning Theorists - Albert Bandura = Band (social event); believe in observation + imitation in addition the classical/operant learning

Notes:

• Types of Reinforcers - two types

  • Primary Reinforcers - naturally reoccurring enforcers (ex. water, food, pain, sex)

  • Secondary Reinforcers - the enforcer’s value must be learned before they can reinforce (ex. tokens, money, grades)

• Schedules of Reinforcement - how often the payout occurs

  • Fixed Ratio Schedule - (# is constant) when you’re reinforced after a certain # of correct responses (ex. 1 token/20 questions correct on WS)

  • Variable Ratio Schedule - (# varies) # of correct responses needed for a payout changes (ex. # of plays on slot machines b4 a win varies)

  • Fixed Interval Schedule - (time is constant) a certain amount of time must pass before a payout (ex. mail comes at 11 daily)

  • Variable Interval Schedule - (time varies) the time before a payout varies (ex. shooting stars fall at unpredictable intervals)