Learning Pack Two - Operant Conditioning

Question 1

horndike

Answer 1

1911
experiments to investigate how behaiour was learnt in a scientific mannor
puzzle box -mopened bby a system of levers
trial and error - called law and effect - the effect of learning to ge out of bx is good (obtains food ) then the behaviour is learnt and repeated )

Question 2

skinner researcb 1938

Answer 2

animals in lab experiments rats
skinners box experience positive and negative reinforcemets
positive reinforcement - hungry rat in skinner box - lever on the side - as rat moved around would accidently press lever and food pellet would drop out - rats learned to go rtaight to leaver
was able to manipulate the rats through reinforcements - a primary need to eat and therefore survive
if rats carried out dessired behavior they would be rewarded with fod eg everytime they saw a red light they would press the lever and receive a food pelet
punishment - electrick shock to deter certain behaviours

Question 3

antecedent

Answer 3

the situation or stimulus that triggers a behaviour

Question 4

behaviour

Answer 4

the response made by the organism

Question 5

consequences

Answer 5

what happens because of this behaviour

Question 6

reinforcers

Answer 6

consequences response to behaviour that increases the pobability of behaviour being repeated

Question 7

primary reinforcers

Answer 7

meeting basic needs

Question 8

secondary reinforcers

Answer 8

can satisfy a basic need but is not in itself a basic need

Question 9

postive reinforcment

Answer 9

something good is given in response to behavior

Question 10

negative reinforcement

Answer 10

something bad is taken away in response

Question 11

punishments

Answer 11

consequences that decrease the liklehood of behaviour being reated

Question 12

positive punishments

Answer 12

something bad is given - unwaned behaviour is stopped

Question 13

problem with punishment

Answer 13

does not promote or give information about desired behaviour olny stops undesired behavior

Question 14

negative punishment

Answer 14

something good is take away so unwanted bahaviour is stopped

Question 15

token economies

Answer 15

encourage desird behaviour throuh a system of rewards and reduce undersired behaviour
token - secondary reinforcers that can be exchanged for primary reinforcers - token are given in response for showing desired behavior
the more okens the better the reard

Question 16

strengths of operant conditioning

Answer 16

evidence to support of methodology - scientific research
emipicism - directy observable - skinner lab settings high controll eg skinners box
falsifiable - allowing testable predictions to be made
reliable standardiedm procedures - replicate

application - useful in criminal justice and education system Paul and lentz _ schitzophrenia

Question 17

waknesses of openant conditioning

Answer 17

methedology - low generslisability - uses animals
ecological validity - organisms usually learn in much more complex environments
eethics - unsessary suffering

alternatives lower validity as reductionist - social learning theory

Question 18

scheduals of reinforement

Answer 18

different patterns of reinforcement
different effects on the speed of learning and on whether extinction occurs

Question 19

response rate

Answer 19

the rate at wich the rat was presented with the lever

Question 20

extinction rate

Answer 20

the rate at wich the lever pressing cues out

Question 21

continiour reinforcement

Answer 21

with continiour reinforement the response rate is solow and extinction rate is fast

Question 22

skinner 1948

Answer 22

the superstitious pigeon
aim - see if any reinforcing situation would yeild a response
8 pigeons were starved 75% few mins ach day in skinners box food hopper swung for 5 secs and pigeon could eat from it
regular intervals
fixed interval reinforement schedual
one pigeon turned anti clojwise 3 x before onr showed head tossing gave a specif response - continued to carry out respose as if it ws causing rewards
different intervals - varaible interval reinforcement - 15 sconds was an effective tme interval
pigeons beleived their behaviour was causing the rewars

Question 23

fixed ratio

Answer 23

behaviour only reinforced after behaviour occurs a set number of times
response rate - fast
extinction rate medium

Question 24

fixed interval

Answer 24

reinforment given after a fixed time is one corect response has bee made
response rate medium
extinction rate medium

Question 25

variable ratio

Answer 25

reinforcment is given randomly with regard to number of responses
response rate slow
extinction rate slow

Question 26

variable interval

Answer 26

given after varaible amounts of time
response rate fasr
extintion rate slow

Question 27

shaping

Answer 27

broken dwon into compoents each component is rewarded
waiting for an action nearer to esired behaviour
waiting for actual behavior
successive approxiations

Question 28

phobias

Answer 28

maintained by operant conditioning
positive reinforcement - eg rearded by getting attention for it
negative reinforement - consequence of far so avoid it how fear becomes phobia .