Module 27- Operant conditioning Flashcards
What is operant conditioning?
A type of learning in which behavior is strengthened by a reinforcer or diminished by a punisher.
Classical conditioning also includes respondent behavior. What is that?
Respondent behavior are actions that are automatic responses to stimuli.
B.F. Skinner elaborated on psychologist Edward Thorndike’s law of effect. What is the law of effect?
The law of effect states that behaviors followed by favorable consequences became more likely while behaviors followed by unfavorable consequences became less likely.
Skinner designed an operant chamber, what is that?
The operant chamber, or Skinner box, is a box/chamber that contains a bar or key that the animal can interact with to release a reward of food or water (reinforcer). Attached devices record the animal’s rate of interaction.
What is reinforcement?
Any event that strengthens or increases the frequency of the response that follows.
What is shaping?
An operant conditioning procedure in which reinforcers guide behavior closer and closer towards the desired behavior.
What is a discriminative stimulus?
A stimulus that produces a response after association with reinforcement (in contrast to related stimuli not associated with reinforcement)
Ex.: The discriminative stimulus might be the presence of a snack in the room; when the snack is present, the child is more likely to ask for it, when the snack is not present, the child is less likely to ask for it.
What is positive reinforcement?
A positive reinforcer is any stimulus that, when presented after a response, strengthens the response.
Adds a desirable stimulus
Ex: Pet a dog that comes when you call it
What is negative reinforcement?
A negative reinforcer is any stimulus that, when removed from after a response, strengthens the response.
(Negative reinforcement is not punishment)
Removes/reduces and aversive stimulus
Ex.: Taking painkillers to end pain
What are primary reinforcers?
An innately (born with) reinforcing stimulus; such as one that satisfies a biological need.
No learning is required
What are conditioned reinforcers (also known as secondary reinforcers)?
A stimulus that gains its reinforcing power through its association with a primary reinforcer
Ex.: If a rat in a Skinner box learns that a light signals food delivery, the rat will work to turn on the light. The light has become a conditioned reinforcer
What are reinforcement schedules?
A pattern that defines how often a desired response will be reinforced.
What is continuous reinforcement? Does extinction occur rapidly or slowly?
Reinforcing the desired response every time it occurs.
Learning occurs rapidly making this the best choice for mastering a behavior.
Extinction occurs rapidly
What are partial (intermittent) reinforcement schedules?
Responses are sometimes reinforced, sometimes not.
Results in slower acquisition on a response but much greater resistance to extinction than continuous reinforcement.
Ex.: Gamblers playing slots; they try time and time again, hope is eternal.
Ex.: Occasionally giving in to a children’s tantrums for the sake of peace and quiet intermittently reinforces the tantrums.
What are fixed-ratio schedules?
Reinforce behavior after a set number of responses
Ex.: Boba shops may reward us with a free drink after every 10 purchased
What are variable-ratio schedules?
Provides reinforcers after a seemingly unpredictable number of responses
Ex.: Slot machine players experience unpredictable reinforcement, its hard to extinguish despite getting nothing for something
Reinforcers increase as the number of responses increase, variable-ratio schedules produce high rates of responding
What are variable-interval schedules?
Reinforce the first response after varying time intervals
Tends to produce slow, steady responding, which makes sense because there is no knowing when the wait will be over
interval means that a certain amount of time must pass before reinforcement, the learner cannot do anything to shorten the interval
What are fixed interval schedules?
Reinforce the first response after a fixed time period
Ex.: People check more frequently for mail as the delivery time approaches.
Produces a choppy stop-start pattern rather than a steady rate of response.
In general, response rates are ________ when reinforcement is linked to the number of _________ (ratio schedule) rather than to ________ (an interval schedule). But responding is more consistent when reinforcement is ___________ (a variable schedule) than when it is ___________ (a fixed schedule).
higher
responses
time
unpredictable
predictable
While reinforcement increases a behavior, punishment does the opposite. What does a punishment/punisher do?
A punisher is any consequence that decreases the frequency of a preceding behavior.
What is positive punishment?
Administers an aversive stimulus
Ex.: Spray water on a barking dog, give a traffic ticket for speeding
What is negative punishment?
Withdraw a rewarding stimulus
Ex.: Take away a teen’s driving privileges, revoke a library card for nonpayment of fines
What are 5 undesirable effects of punishment?
-suppressing rather than changing unwanted behaviors
-teaching aggression
-creating fear
-encouraging discrimination (so that the undesirable behavior appears when the punisher is not present)
-fosters depression and low self-esteem
Critics of Skinner’s principles believed the approach dehumanized people by neglecting their personal freedom and seeking to control their actions. How did Skinner reply?
People’s actions are already controlled by external consequences, and that reinforcement is more humane than punishment as a means for controlling behavior.
