operant conditioning Flashcards
what is operant conditioning?
the learning of voluntary behavior through the effects of pleasant and unpleasant consequences to responses (ex: wanting your child to wash their hands after petting the family dog so you reward them with candy everytime they do)
what is a Skinner box?
a chamber, often small, that is used to conduct operant conditioning research with animals. within this chamber, the box has a bar or button that an animal presses or pecks to release a food or water reward. it also has a device that records these responses. this creates a stage on which rats and other animals act out skinner’s concept of reinforcement.
what is shaping?
breaking down a new behavior into a series of steps, and gradually guiding the subject toward the desired outcome (ex: parents REINFORCING child who is learning to walk. they crawl, stand, take one step, etc)
what are reinforcements and punishments?
reinforcement- consequence of behavior that increases the probability that the behavior will occur
punishment- consequence of behavior that decreases the probability that the behavior will occur
what are positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, positive punishment, and negative punishment?
positive reinforcement- presentation of a pleasant stimulus after a behavior –> increases behavior
negative reinforcement- removal of an unpleasant stimulus after a behavior –> removal of an unpleasant stimulus
positive punishment- unpleasant stimulus follows behavior –> decreases probability of behavior
negative punishment- removal of pleasant stimulus after a behavior –> decreases probability of behavior
what are continuous and intermittent (partial) reinforcement? which is better for initial and long-term learning?
continuous reinforcement- consequences are the same each time the behavior occurs
intermittent (partial) reinforcement- consequences are given only some of the times the behavior occurs
continuous is better in the initial stages of learning a behavior. once behavior is established, intermittent is better since it helps maintain the behavior over time.
what are the schedules of reinforcement (fixed-ratio, variable-ratio, fixed-interval, and variable-interval)?
fixed-ratio- reinforces behavior after a specified number of correct responses (ex: dressmaker is being paid $500 after every 10 dresses that they make. after sending off a shipment of 10 dresses, they are reinforced with $500. they are likely to take a short break immediately after this reinforcement before they begin producing dresses again)
variable-ratio- reward for some percentage of responses, but unpredictable number of responses required before reinforcement (ex: a child being given candy for every 3-10 pages of a book they read. they are given candy after reading 5 pages, then 3 pages, then 7 pages, then 8 pages, etc.)
fixed-interval- reinforcement for responses after a fixed amount of time (a teacher giving students a weekly quiz every monday. over the weekend, there is suddenly a flurry of studying for the quiz. on monday, the students take the quiz and are reinforced for studying (positive reinforcement: receive a good grade; negative reinforcement: do not fail the quiz). for the next few days, they are likely to relax after finishing the stressful experience until the next quiz date draws too near for them to ignore)
variable-interval- reinforcement for responses after an amount of time that is not constant (ex: a pigeon in skinner’s box has to peck a bar in order to receive a food pellet. it is given a food pellet after varying time intervals ranging from 2-5 minutes. it is given a pellet after 3 minutes, then 5 minutes, then 2 minutes, etc. It will respond steadily since it does not know when its behavior will be reinforced)
what are intrinsic and extrinsic motivation? what is the overjustification effect?
intrinsic- pursuit of activity for its own sake (ex: learning a new skill for the sake of personal development)
extrinsic- pursuit of goal for external rewards (ex: learning a new skill to get a bonus at your job)
too much reward –> undermines intrinsic motivation.
describes our tendency to become less intrinsically motivated to partake in an activity that we used to enjoy when offered an external incentive such as money or a reward.
