Untitled Flashcard Set
LOQ 7-7: What is operant conditioning?
Operant conditioning: A type of learning where behavior is shaped by consequences, meaning actions followed by rewards increase and actions followed by punishment decrease.
LOQ 7-8: Who was Skinner, and how is operant behavior reinforced and shaped?
B. F. Skinner: B. F. Skinner studied how consequences control behavior and expanded operant conditioning research.
Law of effect: Based on Edward Thorndike, stating that rewarded behaviors repeat while punished behaviors weaken.
Skinner box: A controlled chamber where animals learn behaviors by pressing levers or pecking keys for rewards.
Reinforcement: Any consequence that increases the likelihood of a behavior happening again.
Shaping: Reinforcing small steps (successive approximations) toward a desired behavior until the full behavior is learned.
Discriminative stimulus: A cue that signals when a behavior will be reinforced, like a green traffic light.
LOQ 7-9: How do positive and negative reinforcement differ, and what are the basic types of reinforcers?
Positive reinforcement: Strengthens behavior by adding something desirable, like praise or food.
Negative reinforcement: Strengthens behavior by removing something unpleasant, like ending pain or stopping an alarm.
Primary reinforcers: Innately rewarding stimuli, such as food, water, or pain relief.
Conditioned reinforcers: Learned rewards linked to primary reinforcers, like money, grades, or praise.
Immediate vs. delayed reinforcers: Immediate rewards strengthen learning faster, while delayed rewards require self-control.
LOQ 7-10: How do different reinforcement schedules affect behavior?
Continuous reinforcement: Reinforces every response, causing fast learning but fast extinction.
Partial (intermittent) reinforcement: Reinforces sometimes, causing slower learning but stronger resistance to extinction.
Fixed-ratio schedule: Reinforces after a set number of responses, producing high responding with pauses.
Variable-ratio schedule: Reinforces after unpredictable responses, producing very persistent behavior.
Fixed-interval schedule: Reinforces after a fixed time, producing stop-and-go behavior.
Variable-interval schedule: Reinforces after unpredictable time intervals, producing steady responding.
LOQ 7-5: Why does Pavlov’s work remain so important?
Scientific impact: Pavlov showed learning could be studied objectively using observable, measurable behavior.
Universal learning: Classical conditioning applies across species, helping organisms adapt to their environment.
LOQ 7-6: What are applications of classical conditioning, and how did Watson apply it to fear?
Drug cravings: Environmental cues associated with drug use can trigger relapse.
Food cravings: Foods paired with pleasure can create strong conditioned urges.
Immune system: Conditioned stimuli can trigger immune responses.
Learned fears: John B. Watson showed fears can be conditioned, as seen in the Little Albert experiment.