lecture 7 Flashcards
operant conditioning
behavioral procedure in which reinforcers or punishments that follow a particular behavior alter the probability of the behavior occurring
classical conditioning tends to be _____ while operant conditioning tends to be ______
involuntary; voluntary
in operant conditioning, the reinforcer is presented only if:
the response is emitted
law of effect:
if a response to a stimulus is followed by a satisfying event, the event will strengthen the association, increasing the likelihood that the behavior will be repeated. same with an annoying event where the behavior would occur less likely
superstition:
cultural or personal beliefs that make connections between unrelated items or events and believe them to affect life events
superstitious learning is
behaviors that become more likely after being followed immediately by reinforcement
an important factor to developing superstitions is the:
temporal (worldly) relationship between the behavior and the outcome
can any response be easily conditioned by reinforcers?
not necessarily
belongingness:
certain responses “belong” with a particular reinforcer based on the animal’s evolutionary history
learned helplessness:
feeling of uselessness in which creatures believe they have no control over their situation
B.F skinner proposed that:
organisms tend to repeat responses that are followed by favorable consequences
reinforcement:
when an event following a response increases an organisms tendency to make that response
primary reinforcers: (unconditioned reinforcers)
events that are inherently reinforcing because they satisfy biological needs. e.g food water and warmth
secondary reinforcers: (conditioned reinforcers)
events that acquire reinforcing qualities by being associated with primary reinforcers. e.g money bc it is associated with getting primary reinforcers such as food and water
shaping:
reportedly reinforcing closer and closer approximations of a desired response until the desired response is achieved
