Learning: Operant Conditioning Flashcards
Operant Conditioning
= a type of learning in which behaviour is strengthened or diminished, depending on the nature of the consequences that follow it
*consequences are the heart of OC, voluntary responses are controlled by their consequences
Reinforcement
= strengthens the response and increases the likelihood of it occurring
- Positive Reinforcement: provides pleasant/satisfying consequence
- Negative Reinforcement: removes/prevents an aversive (unpleasant) stimulus
Types of reinforcers:
- primary: basic needs
- secondary: things we learn to accept as reinforcement (tokens/social reinforcers)
Punishment
= weakens the response and decreases the likelihood of it occurring
- Positive Punishment: addition of an unpleasant stimulus
- Negative Punishment: removes/prevents a pleasant stimulus
Schedules of Reinforcement
= the rate or interval at which responses are reinforced
Schedules of Reinforcement - Continuous Reinforcement
- every correct response is reinforced
- excellent for new behaviours (faster learning, high response rate)
- more resistant to extinction
Schedules of Reinforcement - Partial Reinforcement
- some but not all correct responses are reinforced
- less resistant to extinction
- ratio schedule = response based (# of times)
- interval schedule = time based (time period)
FR, FI, VR, VI
Partial Reinforcement - Fixed Ratio
= reinforcement occurs after a fixed number of correct responses
- high response rate, responses often pause briefly after reinforcement
“short pause”
Partial Reinforcement - Fixed Inteval
= reinforcement delivered after fixed time
- responses increase closer to reinforcement but then drop off
“long pause”
Partial Reinforcement - Variable Ratio
= reinforcement occurs on the basis of an average number of responses (random)
- high response rates, no pause after reinforcement, very resistant to extinction (gambling)
“high, steady”
Partial Reinforcement - Variable Interval
= reinforcement occurs on an average/random time interval
- relatively low response rates, steady
“low, steady”
Factors affecting reinforcement/punishment
- Appropriate consequence = needs to actually reward/punish
- Timing = needs to be immediate or ASAP
- Timing = must follow the behaviour
- Age/Gender = person’s age /gender must be considered as to appropriateness
- Consistency = consequence needs to be the same each time
Key Processes in Operant Conditioning
- Acquisition = establishment of desired response through reinforcement (schedule important)
- Contiguity = space or time in which two items occur (immediate or ASAP)
- Contingency = one behaviour predicts the other (consequence follows the behaviour)
- Extinction = the operantly conditioned response disappears over time as reinforcement ceases
- Spontaneous Recovery = reappearance of extinguished response
- Stimulus Generalisation = responding to stimuli which approximate the original stimulus
- Stimulus Discrimination = learn which responses will be reinforced eg. bus
Examples of Operant Conditioning
- Shaping: used for phobias (start small, work up, eventually establish response), requires continuous reinforcement, used widely in animal training
- Self-paced learning: provides immediate feedback to learner
- Incentive Systems: common in business, professional sport (motivation
- Bio-feedback: bodily functions give feedback (BP, HR)
- Superstition: result of accidental reinforcement
Side Effects of Punishment
- increased aggression
- passive assertiveness
- avoidance behaviour
- modelling
- temporary suppression
- learned helplessness: state of helplessness/resignation in which people/animals learn that escape is impossible… depression results (a sad emotional state or mood that interferes with the ability to function, feel pleasure, maintain interest in life)
