Operant conditioning

Question 1

What are the main features of operant conditioning?

Answer 1

Positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, positive punishment and negative punishment.

Question 2

What is PR?

Answer 2

A desirable consequence where you gain something pleasant (reward) if the behaviour is reinforced (repeated)
e.g: Rat pressing a lever for food.

Question 3

What is NR?

Answer 3

A desirable consequence where something unpleasant is taken away if the behaviour is reinforced (repeated)
e.g: Rat presses lever to stop getting electric shocks.

Question 4

What is PP?

Answer 4

An unpleasant consequence causing something unpleasant to happen which leads the behaviour to be weakened.
e.g: Rat presses the lever; rat gets shocked; rat less likely to press the same lever next time.

Question 5

What is NP?

Answer 5

An unpleasant consequence causing something pleasant to be taken away which leads to the behaviour to be weakened.
e.g: Rat presses lever but no food is given.

Question 6

What are the properties of reinforcement?

Answer 6

Primary reinforcement, secondary reinforcement and schedules of reinforcement.

Question 7

What is primary reinforcement?

Answer 7

The reward is a basic need like food or warmth.

Question 8

What is secondary reinforcement?

Answer 8

The reward is something that can provide a basic need, like money, tokens or another person.

Question 9

What is the schedule of reinforcement and what are the types?

Answer 9

Schedule of reinforcement is a ‘rule’ that indicates the situations in which a behaviour will be reinforced.
there are 2 types of schedules:
- continuous reinforcement which is behaviour reinforced every time it happens
- partial reinforcement which is a behaviour that may be reinforced some of the time (behaviour acquired via this method takes longer to learn but is more resistant to extinction)

Question 10

What are the 4 types of partial reinforcement?

Answer 10

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

Question 11

What is a fixed interval?

Answer 11

The response is rewarded only after a specific time has elapsed (e.g: after every 5 min)

Question 12

What is a variable interval?

Answer 12

Occurs when a response is rewarded after an unpredictable time has passed ( e.g: first at 2 min and then the next 5 min later)

Question 13

What is a fixed ratio?

Answer 13

The response is reinforced only after a specified number of responses (e.g: reward every 3 times you hand in your HW)

Question 14

What is a variable ratio?

Answer 14

Occurs when a response is reinforced after an unpredictable number of responses (e.g: after 3 responses, then 7, then 3)

Question 15

What are the types of behaviour modification?

Answer 15

Behaviour modification and shaping.

Question 16

What is behaviour modification?

Answer 16

If rewards and punishments are planned, so that certain behaviours are produced and others are dropped, this is modifying the individuals behaviour.

Question 16

What is behaviour shaping?

Answer 16

To gradually work towards the required behaviour by rewards or punishment. Reinforcing any behaviour closely resembles the desired behaviour.
reinforcement gradually becomes more selective until you reach a certain behaviour.
e.g: to get a pigeon to turn in a circle you reward small turns, then larger ones until you just reward a complete turn.