operant conditioning

Question 1

operant conditioning

Positive reinforcement

Answer 1

Anything pleasant given when a desired behavior is performed

this increases the probability that the behavior will be repeated

Question 2

operant conditioning

Negative reinforcement

Answer 2

When something unpleasant is removed slash avoided after the design behaviour is performed

this increases the probability of the desired behavior being repeated

Question 3

operant conditioning

Positive punishment

Answer 3

When an undesired behaviour is observed something unpleasant will happen

this decreases the chance of the undesired behaviour being repeated

Question 4

operant conditioning

Negative punishment

Answer 4

When something is taken away to stop and underside behaviour

this means it is less likely for that undesigned behavior to be repeated

Question 5

operant conditioning

Neutral operants

Answer 5

They are responses from the environment that neither increase nor decrease the probability of the behavior being repeated

Question 6

operant conditioning

ABC model

Answer 6

A - antecedent a cue and/or motivation to perform behavior
(reinforcer)

B - behaviour . The observed behaviour that happens as result of A

C- consequence

By getting the primary/ secondary reinforcer it increases the likelihood of the behavior being repeated in the future

Question 7

operant conditioning

Primary reinforces

Answer 7

Directly receiving a reward typically with things that aid survival
EG food, shelter, social interaction

Question 8

operant conditioning

Secondary reinforces

Answer 8

E.G. Tokens, money or stickers to enable you to get a primary reinforcer you decide what kind of primary reinforcer you want

Question 9

operant conditioning

How are the reinforces used

Answer 9

They’re usually used as positive reinforcements as a reward for a desired behavior being shown or as motivation to perform a desired behavior

Question 10

operant conditioning

Schedules of reinforcement

Answer 10

Different schedules of reinforcement have different effects on the response rate [which is the rate at which something occurs eg a behavior]
And Extinction rate [the rate at which the behaviour dies]

Question 11

operant conditioning

Continuous reinforcement

Answer 11

The desired behaviour is reinforced every time it occurs

this schedule is best used during the initial stages of learning in order to create a strong Association between the behaviour and the response

Once the responses firmly established reinforcement is usually switched to a partial reinforcement schedule

Response rate is steady

Extinction rate is fast

Question 12

operant conditioning

Partial reinforcement

Answer 12

The response only reinforce past the time
learned behaviors are acquired more slowly but the response is more resistant to extinction

there are four of these

Fixed interval schedules
fixed ratio schedules
variable interval schedules
and variable ratio schedules

Question 13

operant conditioning
Partial reinforcement

Fixed interval schedules

Answer 13

The first Response is rewarded (behaviour) but only after a fixed amount of time has passed

Response rate is slower after the delivery of the reinforcer(reward)

Extinction rate is a relatively fast (high rate)

EG when you’re paid monthly for your work

Question 14

operant conditioning
Partial reinforcement

Variable interval schedules

Answer 14

The response is rewarded after an unpredictable/ random amount of time has passed

Response rate is slow and steady

the Extinction rate is very resistant (low rate)

EG randomly checking people’s homework folder at random points in the year
due to this unpredictability the behaviour is maintained

Question 15

operant conditioning
Partial reinforcement

Fixed ratio schedules

Answer 15

Response is reinforced only after a specified number of responses

Response rate is at a high steady rate

the Extinction rate is relatively fast (high rate)

EG loyalty cards need so many before you get the free product

Question 16

operant conditioning
Partial reinforcement

Variable ratio schedules

Answer 16

A responses reinforce after an unpredictable number of responses

Response rate is very high and steady

Extinction rate is most resistant of all of the schedules (low rate)

EG gambling as with you continue to gamble you will eventually receive the reward but it’s unpredictable on how many games you’ll need to play and win to get that jackpot

Question 17

operant conditioning

Behaviour modification

Shaping

Answer 17

shaping is used to teach complex behaviors as it is broken down into a series of simple behaviors

Visa talk one by one using reinforcement and Punishment to gradually create the desired complex behavior
EG training dogs

Instead of waiting for a subject to exhibit desired behaviour any behavior leading up to the target behaviour is rewarded

EG every time the dog gets to the traffic lights and it stays then that would be rewarded because it’s going towards the dog sitting and waiting for the traffic lights to change colour

Question 18

operant conditioning

Evidence for skinners rat lever 1948 also pigeons key pressing

Answer 18

Skinner’s rat experiment supports operant conditioning as the rats learn that pulling the lever equaled getting a reward (food)

He also discovered that a reward is dependent on an individual for example giving a rich person in money won’t have the same effect as giving a poor person money

This both support and helps the theory develop therefore it’s very strong evidence to support it

Question 19

operant conditioning

How good is the research bad skinners rats

Answer 19

Most of the experiments and studies done to support operate conditioning have been done using animals for example Skinners rounds this means they are unable to be generalized to human behavior as animal behavior and human behaviour may have key differences that means that they are not fully generalizable to each other therefore making this bad research for operant conditioning

Question 20

Comparing operant conditioning to classical conditioning

Answer 20

Operant conditioning states that learning is voluntary and can be done via reinforcement which can be done in many different ways such as: positive and negative reinforcement and positive and negative punishment

whereas classical conditioning which states that learning is involuntary, follows a much more reductionist, linear way of showing how behaviour is learnt via association of an object or behaviour with somthing else usualy another object or behaviour.

Due to this opponent conditioning is the better explanation on how we learn due to having a more complex and applicable explanation then classical conditioning, which is mainly focused on the learning of Fear compared to operant conditioning which is much more open to other behaviours such as compliance

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Due to operant conditioning claiming that learning is purely a voluntary process and not an involuntary one that’s classical conditioning claims it means the operand conditioning is unable to explain the formation of irrational phobias which is the primary use of classical conditioning (UCS +NS = UCR -> CS = CR)

Making classical conditioning a better explanation of the formation of irrational phobias with an operant conditioning

Question 21

Conditioning conclusion and application

Answer 21

In conclusion upbring conditioning is a very good explanation for the development of behaviors as it is widely applicable to not only phobias to but to other learning such as compliance

Is highly applicable to the real world because it explains why we learn things for example why if a child gets 10 out of town the spelling test but they’re more likely to spell better again because they’ve been praised for getting 10 out of 10 on a spelling test

Question 22

operant conditioning evaluation order

Answer 22

What is operant conditioning
evidence for skinner
bad research skinner
comapre classical (OC better)
Conclusion OC is good for development of behaviours

aplication explains why ppl learn things

e.g doing better on a spelling test after you got to turn and you got praise for it

Question 23

Thorndike cat box fish

Answer 23

cat in box

fish outside

learn press lever button to open box

get fish

after repeating 10-12 times
cats learned that button frees them and do it quicker