Operant Conditioning

Question 1

What is operant conditioning?

Answer 1

Operant conditioning is learning that occurs when a behaviour is followed by an event, and the nature of this event increases or decreases the probability of the behaviour being repeated.

Question 2

What is reinforcement?

Answer 2

Reinforcement takes place when a behaviour is followed by an event and this increases the probability of that behaviour being repeated.

Question 3

What is positive reinforcement?

Answer 3

Positive reinforcement occurs when something nice is introduced to the individual following a behaviour, increasing the probability of that behaviour being repeated.

Question 4

What is negative reinforcement?

Answer 4

Negative reinforcement occurs when something unpleasant is removed from the individual following a behaviour, increasing the probability of that behaviour being repeated.

Question 5

What is punishment?

Answer 5

Punishment takes place when an event follows a behaviour and this decreases the probability that the behaviour will be repeated.

Question 6

What is primary reinforcement?

Answer 6

Primary reinforcement takes place when the thing that acts as a reinforcer has biological significance, such as food.

Question 7

What is secondary reinforcement?

Answer 7

Secondary reinforcement takes place when the thing that acts as a reinforcer has become associated with something of biological significance, such as money which is associated with being able to buy food.

Question 8

What is positive punishment?

Answer 8

Positive punishment occurs when something unpleasant is introduced to the individual following a behaviour, decreasing the probability of that behaviour being repeated.

Question 9

What is negative punishment?

Answer 9

Negative punishment occurs when something nice is removed from an individual following a behaviour, decreasing the probability of that behaviour being repeated.

Question 10

What are the main features of operant conditioning?

Answer 10

Operant conditioning results in a link forming between a behaviour and an event. The behaviour is an act that the individual produces and the event is the consequence of the behaviour. The consequences can lead to an increase or decrease in the probability of the behaviour being repeated.

Question 11

What is the Skinner box?

Answer 11

Most of our understanding of operant conditioning comes from Skinner. He carried out his research on animals using what is known as an operant chamber or skinners box. This contained a supply of food pellets that could be released as reinforcers when the animal learned to do something eg operate a lever. Some use electric floors which could be used to punish behaviour. Using reinforcement and punishment, Skinner and colleagues could train the animals to learn target behaviour.

Question 12

What are the four schedules of reinforcement?

Answer 12

Fixed ratio, variable ratio, fixed interval, variable interval.

Question 13

What is fixed ratio schedule?

Answer 13

A schedule that reinforces a response only after a specified number of responses. Eg giving a child a high five every 5 times they do a star jump.

Question 14

What is variable ratio schedule?

Answer 14

A schedule of reinforcement that reinforces a response after an unpredictable number of responses. Eg giving a child a high five at random times after they have done star jumps.

Question 15

What is fixed interval schedule?

Answer 15

A schedule of reinforcement that reinforces a response only after a specified time has elapsed. Eg giving a child a reward every 10 minutes after they do their homework.

Question 16

What is variable interval schedule?

Answer 16

A schedule of reinforcement that reinforces s response at unpredictable time intervals. Eg your boss checking in on your progress throughout the day. The time is unknown.

Question 17

What is a reinforcement schedule?

Answer 17

This is how many behaviours should get the reward or in what time period when the behaviours are being executed the rewards should be given.

Question 18

What is continuous reinforcement?

Answer 18

Reinforcing the desired response every time it occurs eg every peck the pigeon makes when the red light turns on, he receives a food pellet. It is not a schedule, it always happens.

Question 19

What is partial reinforcement?

Answer 19

Reinforcing a response only par of the time. The acquisition of the process is slower and has greater resistance to extinction.

Question 20

What is behaviour modification?

Answer 20

Modifying behaviour using any use of operant conditioning to modify behaviour can be called behaviour modification. Eg in sports psychology where reinforcement is used to improve technique and reduce dangerous behaviour.

Question 21

What was Ford’s study?

Answer 21

Cassie Ford et al (2017) assessed head impact using helmet sensors in American footballers. They used mentoring to provide reinforcement to the high risk players. This caused mean impact intensity to drop by 3.9% overall and 4.7% to the top of the head.

Question 22

What is a strength of operant conditioning?

Answer 22

Skinner (1948) carried put research on animals using skinners box. It contained a supply of food pellets that could be released as reinforcers when the animal learnt to do something eg operate a lever. Some were electric floors which can be used to punish behaviour. Using reinforcement and punishment, skinner and colleagues could train the animals to learn target behaviours.

Question 23

What is a weakness of operant conditioning?

Answer 23

A weakness of operant conditioning is that it can only explain how existing behaviours are strengthened or weakened, not where behaviours originate from. Although operant conditioning can explain a much wider range of behaviours than classical conditioning, including complex chains of behaviour, it is still incomplete as an explanation of acquiring behaviour. It can’t count for the learning of new behaviours which the animal has never performed before. This shows that operant conditioning is only a partial explanation of learning.

Question 24

What is a strength of operant conditioning?

Answer 24

A strength of operant conditioning is that it is supported by many studies on both humans and animals. Skinner and many others conducted hundreds of laboratory experiments demonstrating operant conditioning in animals. There are constant findings regarding the ability to modify behaviour using reinforcement and punishment. Modern brain studies have revealed brain systems that relate to reinforcement in humans. This means there is a firm evidence base supporting the existence of operant conditioning in human and animals studies.