3 - The Behaviourist Approach - Operant Conditioning Flashcards
Define operant conditioning
A form of learning in which behaviour is shaped and maintained by consequences.
Includes punishment, positive / negative reinforcement.
Define positive reinforcement
When you receive something positive (reward) when carrying out a behaviour.
Define negative reinforcement
When you perform a behaviour to avoid something unpleasant and therefore the behaviour continues in the future.
Define punishment
An unpleasant consequence caused by certain behaviours
Describe the Skinner box
Used pigeons and rats.
It was a cage which has loud speakers, lights, a lever, a door and a floor which could be electrified.
Describe in detail the experiment carried out in the Skinner box
Hungry rat placed in box and allowed to freely run round.
Might accidentally press lever and be rewarded by food pellet which would drop into the skinner box (positive reinforcement)
Continue to press lever in order to receive a food pellet - learns that pressing the lever leads to a reward
Also learns that by pressing lever they could avoid something unpleasant (receiving an electric shock conducted via the floor). This is an example of negative reinforcement
What is extinction ( in terms of the Skinner Box)
When rat presses lever but no longer receives a reward (food pellet) - soon learns that pressing lever leads to no rewards. Will therefore stop pressing lever as it has learnt that it leads to no more rewards.
What are the positives of operant conditioning?
Research evidence to support the idea of operant conditioning in the real world. Token economy is used in institutions such as prisons and hospitals and acts as a form of behaviour modification. Token economy works by rewarding appropriate behaviour with tokens which can be exchanged for privileges. Research conducted by Paul and Lentz used token economy to treat patients who had schizophrenia, and it was found that their behaviour became more appropriate.
Skinner relied on the experimental method. Used highly controlled conditions to discover the relationship between variables so that he could establish a cause and effect relationship, e.g. pressing the lever causes the rat to learn food will arrive (reward)
Nurture side of the nature/nurture debate. States that learning occurs due to environmental factors and external stimuli rather than due to nature and biology. Therefore by manipulating factors in the environment this can have an effect on learning and behaviour, and is supported by nurture.
What are the negatives of operant conditioning?
Ignores concept of free will. Suggests that past experiences involving operant conditioning will affect future behaviour, and people/animals have no control over their actions or the behaviours they show.
Ethical issues. Rats and pigeons were often placed in the Skinner box in stressful and aversive conditions which could have a negative effect upon the psychological and physical health of the animals. Issue with generalising the results gained from rats and pigeons to humans as animals are very different to humans.
Ignores the biological approach which would state that behaviour cannot be learnt, but instead behaviour is heavily influence by the role of genes, hormones and biochemical/neural mechanisms. Therefore other approaches in psychology must also be considered when examining the influences upon behaviour, and operant conditioning/learning cannot explain all behaviours e.g. do people learn how to be aggressive, or could it be caused by genes and hormones (testosterone
