operant conditioning Flashcards
what is meant by ‘law of effect’?
of the several responses made to the same situation, those which are closely followed by satisfaction will be more firmly connected with the situation
what are the differences between classical and operant conditioning?
classical = responses already occur naturally, only the stimuli can be manipulated to elicit these responses
operant = new behaviours are created in response to a consequence
define ‘positive reinforcement’
when something pleasant is given in response to a desired behaviour
define ‘negative reinforcement’
when something unpleasant is taken away in response to a desired behaviour
what is primary positive reinforcement?
reinforcement that satisfies a basic need such as getting food
what is secondary positive reinforcement?
reinforcement that enables you to access primary reinforcers such as money for food
define ‘punishment’
causing some kind of physical or mental distress by giving a negative consequence and so decreasing the probability of the undesirable behaviour being repeated
define ‘positive punishment’
giving something unpleasant in response to an undesired behaviour
define ‘negative punishment’
taking away something pleasant in response to an undesired behaviour
what is meant by ‘shaping’?
changing reinforcement in order to produce a very specific behaviour
what are the stages of shaping?
- rewarding behaviour in the direction of the desired behaviour
- rewarding similar behaviour
- only rewarding the desired specific behaviour
define ‘chaining’
the concept of putting together multiple behaviours that form one “larger” behaviour
what are ‘uncontrollable reinforcers’?
when the behaviour
has no real effect on the apparent ‘reward’ but the reward follows the behaviour so that they appear to be linked
- e.g. a pigeon being taught to walk in a circle in order to receive a reward
what are schedules of reinforcement?
amount of time or frequency between showing the desired behaviour and being reinforced for it
describe continuous reinforcement
when the desired effect is reinforced every time it occurs
describe fixed ratio reinforcement
when reinforcement occurs at regular intervals, e.g. every time you reach 5 points on a coffee card you get the 6th coffee free
describe variable ratio reinforcement
when the number of necessary correct responses is constantly altered, e.g. you do not know how often a gambling machine gives a reward
describe fixed interval reinforcement
reinforcement made once every fixed amount of time e.g. being paid on the same day every month regardless of work hours
what does contiguent mean?
when the consequence follows soon after the behaviour- if there’s too long a delay, the conditioning is weakened
what is a strength of operant conditioning (PEE)?
- supporting study thorndike
a strength of operant conditioning is the supporting evidence from Thorndike’s study. for example, the cat in the cage was positively reinforced with salmon when it lifted the latch on the cage but negatively reinforced by an electric shock when it wasn’t lifting the latch. therefore, this shows how a behaviour can be learned as the individual acts to receive the reward and avoid the unpleasant consequences.
what is a strength of operant conditioning (PEE)?
- supporting evidence Deutsch
a strength of operant conditioning is the supporting evidence from Deutsch. they found that worker morale increased when their productivity created rewards. therefore, this shows that in a real life setting, positive reinforcement can increase productivity and means more work can get done.
what is a weakness of operant conditioning (PEECA)?
- criticism animal research
a weakness of operant conditioning is that much of the research is carried out on animals. animals have different brain structures such as the cerebral cortex which has a role in problem solving/memory. therefore, the findings cannot represent the way that humans would respond. however, the research methods are objective and involve standardised procedures which makes them reliable and easy to replicate.
what is a weakness of operant conditioning (PEE)?
- opposing study Kohler
a weakness of operant conditioning is the opposing study from Kohler. they found that primates solve problems in a flash of insight rather than through trial and error or reliance on consequences. operant conditioning fails to consider the effect of cognitive learning so could be an incomplete explanation. however, this study was carried out on animals. therefore the results cannot be representative of human behaviour and therefore it lacks generalisability.
what is a strength of operant conditioning (PEE)?
- application
a strength of operant conditioning is that there are practical applications. for example, token economy is used in schools/prisons and provides secondary reinforcers in return for primary reinforcers. additionally, it helps to explain how behaviours such as addiction can arise. therefore, the concepts can be used to formulate treatments or therapy which can improve quality of life.
