Lesson 3 - Approches - Operant Condiitoning And Skinners Research

Question 1

Operant conditioning definition

Answer 1

A Rom o learning in which behaviour is shaped and maintained by consequences

Question 2

What are the three consequences that can be used in operant conditioning

Answer 2

Positive reinforcement
Negative reinforcement
Punishment

Question 3

Positive reinforcement

Answer 3

Receiving a reward when carrying out a behaviour for example getting a reward sticker, when you complete your hwk to a high standard

Question 4

negative reinforcement

Answer 4

• perform a behaviour in order to avoid smth unpleasant and therefore the behaviour continues in the future e.g. complete hwk to avoid detention

Question 5

Punishment definition

Answer 5

Unpleasant consequence caused by certain behaviour e.g teacher shouts at you for not doing hwk

Question 6

What two animals did skinner conduct research on

Answer 6

Pigeons and rats

Question 7

What is the name of the cage

Answer 7

The Skinner box

Question 8

Describe the Skinner box

Answer 8

A cage with loud speakers, lights, a lever, a door and a floor which could be electrified

Question 9

Describe the Skinner box experiment using positive reinforcement

Answer 9

• One HUNGRY rat placed in Skinner box and allowed to run around freely
• The rat may accidentally press the lever
• the rat would be rewarded by a food pellet which would drop into the Skinner box (positive reinforcement)
• The rat continues to press the lever and the rat would be rewarded by a food pellet
• soon learn that pressing leads to reward

Question 10

Describe the Skinner box experiment using negative reinforcement

Answer 10

Rat presses lever to avoid an electric shock
The rat will learn that pressing the ever gets rid of the electric shock

Question 11

Extinction

Answer 11

When rat presses lever and no longer receives a reward, rat will learn that pressing the lever leads to no rewards, and thus will stop pressing the lever

Question 12

Spontaneous recovery

Answer 12

Following extinction, if rat presses lever and does receive food, rat will quickly relearn that pressing the lever results in reward

Question 13

Schedules of reinforcement definition

Answer 13

This means there are different methods of reinforcement that might occur

Question 14

Examples of schedules of reinforcement

Answer 14

Continuous reinforcement
Fixed interval
Fixed ratio

Question 15

What is continuous reinforcement?

Answer 15

Every time the rat presses lever they will always receive a food pellet

Question 16

What does fixed interval mean?

Answer 16

The rat presses the lever and only receives a food pellet during a fixed time only

Question 17

Fixed ratio

Answer 17

The rat must press the lever a fixed number of times to get a reward

Question 18

Positive of operant conditioning - token economy and Paul and lentz

Answer 18

• research evidence in real world
• token economy used in prisons and hospitals
• rewarding appropriate behaviour with tokens which can be exchanged for privileges
• Paul and lentz used token economy to treat patients who had schizophrenia, and it was found that there behaviour became more appropriate

Question 19

Negative of operant conditioning - ethics

Answer 19

• rats and pigeons were placed in stressful and aversive situations, which could have neg affects on psychological and physical health of the animals
• issue about generalisation,
• animals very different to humans, thus results may not be applicable to humans

Question 20

Positive of operant conditioning - controlled

Answer 20

• skinner relied on experimental method
• he used highly controlled conditions to discover the relationship between variables to establish a cause and effect relationship

Question 21

Positive of operant conditioning - nurture

Answer 21

• skinners research is on the nurture side
• learning takes place due to environmental factors rather than Nature and biology
• therefore by manipulating factors in environment can effect learning and behaviour, and is supported by nurture

Question 22

Negative of operant conditioning

Answer 22

• focuses on behaviourisnt approach and thus the biological approach is ignored,
• bio approach argues that behaviour cannot be learnt and is heavily influenced by genes
• thus other approaches must also be considered when examining the influence of behaviour
• and operant conditioning cannot explain all behaviours.