Lesson 2 - Operant Conditioning Flashcards
Operant Conditioning
Learning to associate a behaviour with a consequence.
Law of Effect
States that behaviours followed by positive consequences are more likely to occur, while behaviours followed by negative consequences are less likely to occur.
Discriminative stimulus
The stimulus that brings a response after association with a consequence (reinforcement)
- In operant conditioning
- For example, a treat when a dog sits down is the DS.
Positive reinforcement
When a behaviour is followed by receiving something favourable (like a reward), the behaviour is likely to be strengthened in the future.
Punishment
When a behaviour is followed by something negative, the behaviour is likely to decrease in the future.
Negative reinforcement
When a person is trapped in a bad situation, they perform a behaviour to escape. The unpleasant consequence is taken away after a behaviour is given, and this reinforces that behaviour to continue to avoid.
Partial reinforcement schedule
The response is reinforced only part of the time. Learned behaviours are acquired more slowly with partial reinforcement, but the response is more resistant to extinction.
Continuous reinforcement
The desired behaviour is reinforced every single time it occurs. This schedule is best used during the initial stages of learning to create a strong association between the behaviour and response.
Fixed - Ratio
Reinforcement is after every*th behaviour
- Reinforcement is given afer a predictable number of responses
Fixed - Interval
Reinforcement for the behaviour is after a fixed time
- Reinforcement is delivered at predictable time intervals
Variable - Ratio
Reinforcement is after a random/varied number of behaviours
- Reinforcement is delivered after an unpredictable number of responses
- High and steady response rate
Variable - Interval
Reinforcement for behaviour is after a random amount of time
- Reinforcement is given at unpredictable time internals
Scalloped pattern
Fixed-interval schedule on a graph, which produces a distinctive scalloped pattern.
Fixed interval reinforcement schedule
When behavior is rewarded after a set amount of time
Variable interval reinforcement schedule
The person or animal gets the reinforcement based on varying amounts of time, which are unpredictable
Fixed ration reinforcement schedule
There are a set number of responses that must occur before the behavior is rewarded
Variable ratio reinforcement schedule
The number of responses needed for a reward varies
- Most powerful reinforcement schedule
Primary reinforcers
Things that motivate behavior because they satisfy an individual’s basic survival needs
Secondary reinforcers
A stimulus that reinforces a behavior after it has been associated with a primary reinforcer
- They do not occur naturally and need to be learned. Money is an example of a secondary reinforcer. Money helps reinforce behaviors because it can be used to acquire primary reinforcers such as food, clothing, and shelter
Superstitious behaviour
The irrational belief that a specific action or behavior can influence unrelated events.
Instinctive drift
The tendency of some trained animals to revert back to instinctual behaviors.
Learned helplessness
a state that occurs after a person has repeatedly experienced a stressful situation. They believe they cannot control or change the situation, so they do not try, even when opportunities for change are available.The feeling that you are hopeless no matter what behaviour and results from the inability to avoid repeated aversive events.
Reinforcement schedules
The rules that determine how often an organism is reinforced for a particular behavior.
