Learning: Key concept 2 Flashcards
Extrinsic rewards
Pleasurable consequences of a behaviour that come from the external environment.
Intrinsic rewards
Pleasurable consequences of a behaviour that come from within the individual.
Motivation
The drive to behave in a way that achieves a goal of satisfies a need.
Negative reinforcement
The reinforcer is the removal of an unpleasant stimulus, which makes the behaviour more likely to be repeated.
Operant conditioning
A form of learning in which behaviour is shaped and maintained by its consequences - reinforcement or punishment.
Positive reinforcement
The reinforcer is a pleasant consequence of the behaviour, making the behaviour more likely to be repeated.
Punishment
The consequence of a behaviour is unpleasant, making the behaviour more likely to be repeated.
Reinforcement
A behaviour is followed by a consequence that increases the probability of the behaviour being repeated.
Practical applications evaluation
Strength is that there are many practical applications of operant conditioning in education. For example, good work and behaviour are reinforced by extrinsic rewards such as praise or gold stars. Intrinsic rewards are encouraged to raise students self esteem, punishment is often used in schools and by parents to eliminate undesirable behaviour. This shows that operant conditioning has wide uses in the real world as well as theoretical importance.
Research support evaluation
Strength is that operant conditioning is supported by both human and animal studies. For example, in lab experiments operant conditioning is demonstrated in various animal species. The findings reliably demonstrate how behaviour is influenced by reinforcement and punishment. Human studies have discovered brain areas and structures that are linked with reinforcement of behviour. Therefore, research supports the view that operant conditioning is a key form of learning in many animal and human behaviours.
Incomplete explanation of learning evaluation
Weakness is that operant conditioning is not a full explanation of some learning. For example, it can explain how a phobia is maintained over time. However, this only explains how the existing behaviour is strengthened or weakened - but does not explain how the phobia first appears. This means operant conditioning is an incomplete theory that does not account for all behaviours.