Operant Conditioning Flashcards
what is the behavior changes of operant conditioning?
behavior changes as a result of consequences that follow it
what are the differences between classical and operant conditioning?
classical: focuses on elicited (involuntary) behavior
operant: focuses on emitted (voluntary) behaviors
what is operant conditioning?
the process whereby organisms learn to make responses in order to obtain or avoid certain outcomes. is really a three part association (SRO).
what is instrumental learning?
organism’s behavior is instrumental in bringing about certain outcomes
what is thorndike’s law of effect?
“affect of consequences on future behavior”
1. responses followed by a satisfying (unsatisfying) consequence becomes more (less) likely to occur
Describe SRO
S: discriminative stimulus (context)
R: response
O: outcome
- this knowledge guides future behaviors
What is the R that is learned in SRO?
- is not a rote motor program
- if normal motor program is blocked, animal will use other methods to achieve the same ends
- is a behavioral unit. not a single behavior but a class of behaviors producing an effect. some call it a goal or intention
Describe S in SRO
- tells us which contingencies are in effect. operant conditioning is about contingencies (if R, then O)
- crucial in operant learning, ensuring that we select behaviors that are appropriate to the situation
What is the straight runway procedure?
(instrumental conditioning) Animal is put in a start box, has to go down a straight alley to reach the goal box w/ reinforcement.
what measures are in the straight runway procedure?
latency: slowness, how long it takes the animal to learn. as learning occurs, latency decreases
speed: as learning occurs, speed increases as animal goes down alley faster
what is the T-Maze paradigm?
Rats are put in a maze shaped like a T. They are placed in the bottom. Food is on one side of the T. Rats have to figure out which direction to turn over a series of trials.
what measures are in the T-Maze paradigm?
- latency
- speed
- error rate: the amount of mistakes the rat makes (how many wrong turns). As rat becomes more accurate, error rate would decrease
What is the skinner box?
(operant conditioning)
1. animal is placed in a ‘free’ chamber, no experimenter intervention
2. context (S): light that signals box is on
3. behavior (R): rate of lever pressing
4. outcomes (O): food delivery (reward) or shock (punishment)
What is shaping?
(operant conditioning)
shaping through successive approximation builds a complex R incrementally. Reward for each step you take (potty-training)
What is chaining?
(operant conditioning)
chaining builds complex R sequences by linking together SRO conditions
(building complex behaviors, like dog obstacle courses)
define reinforcement
response strengthened by consequence that follows
*something can’t be a reinforce if the person doesn’t perceive it as a reward
define punishment
response weakened by consequence that follows
define primary reinforcers
stimuli that organism finds reinforcing because they satisfy biological needs (e.g. food, drink)
*things you do not have to learn to find rewarding
define secondary reinforcers
acquire reinforcing properties through association with primary reinforcers (e.g. money, praise)
*just the opportunity to engage in behavior can also be rewarding. doesn’t have to be things (ex. hanging out w/ friends, skiing, go out to play)
define positive reinforcement
occurs when a response is strengthened by the presentation of a stimulus (the positive reinforcer) that follows it
*something good is added
define negative reinforcement
response strengthened by removal (or avoidance) of an aversive stimulus (the negative reinforcer)
*something undesirable is taken away
*always strengthens behavior
True or False: You can have positive and negative reinforcement at the same time
True
Provide examples of negative reinforcement
- you go to the gym to lose weight
- anxious about germs. I wash my hands and the anxiety goes away
- phobias. avoiding where you’ll be triggered to get rid of anxiety and obsessive thought
describe escape learning
consequence of behavior is terminating an already present aversive stimulus
*the aversive thing is happening right now
provide examples of escape learning
- someone calls and you don’t want to talk, you pick up and hang up
- running away from murder
- going to the gym to lose weight
- taking medicine b/c you have high blood pressure
describe avoidance learning
consequence of behavior is preventing the appearance of an aversive stimulus
*preventive actions. things hasn’t happened yet, trying to avoid it
*usually a signal that alerts you
provide examples of avoidance learning
- someone calls and you don’t want to talk, so you let it ring
- running away from murder
- going to the gym to prevent challenges of old age
What are the factors that affect positive reinforcement?
- AMOUNT, magnitude of reinforcer
- QUALITY, of reinforcer
- DELAY, timing between behavior and consequence
- SCHEDULE, relationship between behavior and consequence
What are the factors that affect negative reinforcement?
- AMOUNT, magnitude of reinforcer
- DELAY, timing between behavior and consequence
- SCHEDULE, relationship between behavior and consequence
In negative reinforcement, one of the factors affecting it is schedule. When will reinforcement work best?
*when given a timeline. The quicker in time you get the consequence, the quicker you learn
*behaviors need to be continuously reinforced
Why is quality not a factor affecting negative reinforcement?
*something is being taken away in N.R. You can’t measure the quality of something that is not there
What is continuous reinforcement?
every response of a particular type is reinforced
provide examples of continuous reinforcement
- every time you put your dollar in the vending machine, you get a snack
- every time you put the key in the ignition, the car starts
what is partial reinforcement?
only some responses are reinforced
