Lesson 3 - Operant Conditioning

Question 1

What is positive reinforcement?

Answer 1

You will receive a reward when carrying out a behaviour. This reward is motivation to carry on this behaviour

Question 1

Definition of operant conditioning

Answer 1

A form of learning in which a behaviour is shapes an maintained by consequences, punishment and positive/negative reinforcement

Question 2

What is negative reinforcement?

Answer 2

Behaviour is performed to avoid something negative, so this behaviour continues in the future

Question 3

What is punishment?

Answer 3

An unpleasant consequence to some behaviours

Question 4

The work of Skinner (1953)

Answer 4

• Research on rats and pigeons in a device called the ‘Skinner Box’
• The box is a cage with loud speakers, a light, and a lever. The floor can also be electrified
• One HUNGRY rat at a time is placed in the box and allowed to explore. They eventually press the lever and will be rewarded with a food pellet. This is POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT
• The rat will learn that they will be rewarded every time they press the lever. They will also learn that by pressing the lever they could avoid something unpleasant, like an electric shock. This is NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENT

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Question 5

Extinction

Answer 5

When the rat presses the lever but no longer receives a reward. The rat will eventually stop pressing it as it realises that there will be no more rewards

Question 6

Spontaneous recovery

Answer 6

Following extinction, if the lever suddenly results in the release of a pellet, the rat will quickly relearn that the behaviour results in a rewardS

Question 7

Schedules of reinforcement

Answer 7

Different methods of reinforcement may occur:

Continuous reinforcement - every time the lever is pressed, the rat will receive a pellet

Fixed interval - the rat presses the lever and only receives a pellet during a fixed time period like 30 seconds

Fixed ratio - the rat must press the lever a certain amount of times to receive a reward

Question 8

Strengths of operant conditioning

Answer 8

• There is research evidence in the real world. Token economy is used in prisons and hospitals to encourage certain behaviours. You are rewarded for certain behaviours with tokens which can be exchanged for privileges
• Paul and Lentz found that token economy in hospitals were used to treat patients with schizophrenia and found that their behaviour became more appropriate
• Relied on the experimental condition and uses highly controlled conditions so he could find a cause and effect relationship
• On the nurture side of the nature/nurture debate. It states that learning occurs due to environmental conditions.

Question 9

Weaknesses of operant condition

Answer 9

• Has very obvious ethical issues, as rats and pigeons were placed in stressful conditions that could affect their psychological and physical conditions. Limits the repeatability of the experiment
• It is also difficult to generalise this to humans. The behaviourist approach believes that animals and humans have the same psychological processes which can be argued
• Ignores the biological approach, which would argue that behaviour is influenced by genes and hormones etc.