behaviourist approach- operant conditioning

Question 1

What is operant conditioning=

Answer 1

when we form a link between a behavior (the operant) and its consequence (the result that follows it)

. Therefore, we are learning through consequences rather than association

Question 2

what increases or decreases the probability of the behaviour reocurring ?

Answer 2

Depending on the consequence, the probability of the behavior being repeated increases or decreases.

Question 3

what do consequences act as ?

Answer 3

reinforcement

Question 4

what are the 2 types of reinforcement

Answer 4

positive reinforcement
negative reinforcement

Question 5

positive reinforcement =

Answer 5

occurs when a behaviour is followed by a pleasant consequence. Such as food, money, or a smile or nice comment

Question 6

negative reinforcement =

Answer 6

occurs when a behaviour is followed by the removal of an unpleasant stimulus.

.strengthens a behaviour by removing unpleasant or adverse circumstances.

.it’s a way to motivate someone to do a particular thing by eliminating something that is not good.

. For example, if you know there will be a consequence of not eating your breakfast in the morning (being hungry) you will eat your breakfast to avoid hunger (pain)
. eating breakfast is the negative reinforcement

Question 7

Positive punishment =

Answer 7

when a behaviour is followed by an unpleasant consequence. (slap/harsh words)

Question 8

negative punishment =

Answer 8

occurs when a behaviour is followed by the removal of something pleasant (being grounded/ being fined)

Question 9

what is our behaviour motivated by=

Answer 9

desire to achieve goals and satisfy needs
. motivation is driven by rewards

Question 10

what are the 2 types of rewards

Answer 10

extrinsic rewards
intrinsic rewards

Question 11

extrinsic rewards=

Answer 11

these come from our environment, usually other people, teachers’ family, friends ext.

(gaining a reward or avoiding punishment motivates behaviour)

Question 12

intrinsic rewards=

Answer 12

these originate from within us, such as your own enjoyment, pleasure, interests ext. (the activity you are doing is rewarding in itself-you are self-motivated.

Question 13

strength of operant conditioning =

Answer 13

practical applications

.in education= reinforcement is often used in settings such as nurseries.

for example, good work and behaviour are reinforced by extrinsic rewards. (praise/gold stars)

. intrinsic rewards are encouraged to raise students self esteem (setting there own targets)

.. punishment is used in schools and by parents to eliminate undesirable behaviour (naughty steps ext)

. This shows that operant conditioning has a wide use in the real world.

.

Question 14

strength of operant conditioning=

Answer 14

research supports=

.many lab studies have shown how operant conditioning works in various animal spaces.
.The findings reliably demonstrates how behaviour is influenced by reinforcement and punishment

. therefore research supports the view that operant conditioning is a key form of learning in many animal and human behaviours