AP PSYCH 4.3 Operant Conditioning

Procedure

• Behavior is shaped over time through a series of reinforcements or punishments
• The results of the learners behavior motivate it to exhibit more or less of that behavior
• This is the way most people think of training dogs: you give them a treat when they do the trick right
  • This positively reinforces the behavior, so they are more likely to do it again

Motivators

Positive Reinforcer

• Presenting something the learner perceives as ‘good’
• Behavior is strengthened or frequency increases
• EX: Giving food, a good grade, a pay raise

Negative Reinforcer

• Taking away something the learner perceives as ‘bad’
• Behavior is strengthened or frequency increases
• EX: Taking away restrictions, removing a threat

Positive Punishment

• Presenting something the learner perceives as ‘bad’
• Behavior is weakened or frequency decreases
• EX: Pain (in animal trials, often a shock), adding restrictions

Negative Punishment

• Taking away something the learner perceives as ‘good’
• Behavior is weakened or frequency decreases
• EX: Taking away sustenance, taking away privileges/freedoms

B.F. Skinner

• Elaborated on Thorndike’s Law of Effect
• Explored different ways to change behavior
  • Schedules of reinforcement
• Developed technology to measure behavior
  • Skinner box/operant chamber

Types of Motivation

Intrinsic Motivation

• Desire to perform a behavior for its own sake
• Commonly the most potent form of motivation because there is no pressure beyond one’s own enthusiasm for the behavior

Extrinsic Motivation

• Desire to perform a behavior for future rewards to avoid threat of punishment
• Often less potent, especially when the behavior feels like an obligation
• Can still be very motivating if it’s biologically relevant, like earning food or safety

Schedules of Reinforcement

Fixed Ratio

• The behavior is reinforced after a consistent amount of responses
• EX: A treat is presented every time a pigeon presses a button three times
  • A worker is paid for every 5 products they assemble on an assembly line

Variable Ratio

• The behavior is reinforced after a random amount of responses
• EX: A treat is presented after a pigeon presses a button, but the amount of button presses necessary changes after each treat
  • A fisher casts his hook all day, and fish may or may not bite randomly with each cast

Fixed Interval

• The behavior is reinforced after a consistent amount of time has passed
  • No amount of behavior from the learner will change when the reinforcement comes
• EX: A pigeon presses a button a couple times, and after five minutes, a treat is presented
  • You get an email from a news website every morning at 7 A.M.

Variable Interval

• The behavior is reinforced after a random amount of times has passed
• EX: A pigeon presses a button a couple times, and after some period of time, different from the last period, a treat is presented
  • Pop quizzes are presented at random times throughout the school year

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