Operant Conditioning

Question 1

did operant conditioning develop before or after classical conditioning?

Answer 1

after

Question 2

what type of behaviour is operant conditioning concerned with?

Answer 2

voluntary

e.g. pressing a lever

Question 3

why does learning occur during operant conditioning?

Answer 3

due to the consequences of an action

Question 4

what is a reinforcer?

Answer 4

the event that leads to an increased likelyhood of the behaviour being repeated

Question 5

primary reinforcer

Answer 5

the reward has biological significance

Question 6

example of a primary reinforcer

Answer 6

food
shelter
sex

Question 7

secondary reinforcer

Answer 7

rewards which become associated with a primary reinforcer

Question 8

examples of a secondary reinforcer

Answer 8

good job - sexually attractive

money - buys food

Question 9

positive reinforcer

Answer 9

takes place when something pleasant is introduced following a behaviour

Question 10

examples of a positive reinforcer

Answer 10

smile

praise

Question 11

negative reinforcer

Answer 11

takes place when something unpleasant is being removed

a behaviour to remove an unpleasant feeling

Question 12

examples of a negative reinforcer

Answer 12

leaving a loud restaurant to go to a quieter one

Question 13

punishment

Answer 13

when an event following a behaviour makes its repetition less likely

Question 14

positive punishment

Answer 14

takes place when something unpleasant is introduced following a behaviour

Question 15

examples of positive punishment

Answer 15

getting slapped during an arguement

Question 16

negative punishment

Answer 16

when something nice is removed

Question 17

examples of negative punishment

Answer 17

phone being taken away for not helping around the house

Question 18

uncontrollable reinforcers

Answer 18

happen regardless of behaviour

but we associate our actions with that reinforcer and continue to repeat the behaviour

Question 19

which study illustrated uncontrollable reinforcers?

Answer 19

Skinner illustrated this by placing 8 pigeons in Skinner boxes

Question 20

describe the Skinner box

Answer 20

one wall with a pad the pigeons could peck

contained food dispenser - controlled by experimenter

Question 21

when would the pigeons in the box receive food

Answer 21

every 15 seconds

regardless of what the pigeons did

Question 22

how did the pigeons respond to the food

Answer 22

six of the eight birds responded by adopting repetitive and unusual behaviours

Question 23

examples of the unusual behaviours of the birds

Answer 23

hopping up and down

head-bobbing

Question 24

what happened when Skinner adjusted the food dispenser to administer food more slowly

Answer 24

the head bobbing bird increased the speed of its head bopping

Question 25

why did Skinner propose he had created ‘superstitious pigeons?

Answer 25

food had followed the repeated movement
the birds had come to learn that food would always follow that behaviour
food motivated them to repeat the behaviour constantly

Question 26

what did Skinner argue about punishment?

Answer 26

punishment is largely irrelevant
we should be able to predict and control peoples behaviours by the appropriate distribution of reinforcements
so that punishment should never be necessary

Question 27

what doesn’t punishment teach us?

Answer 27

what we ought to do

Question 28

why is it thought that reinforcement is more effective than punishment?

Answer 28

it increases desirable behaviour which is arguably more effective than decreasing undesirable behaviours

Question 29

in what cases can punishment act as a reinforcer?

Answer 29

it can be a means of attention or some people may enjoy punishment

this means their behaviour may increase as a result

Question 30

3 conditions that need to be met for punishment to work

Answer 30

predictable & consistent

must be given by someone who seems neutral rather than emotionally involved

reflect / support social norms

Question 31

contingent

Answer 31

clear link between the persons behaviour and the consequence it produces - they know exactly what they are being rewarded or punished for

Question 32

contiguent

Answer 32

the consequence follows soon after the behaviour - conditioning is weakened if there’s too long a delay.

Question 33

what 2 things must effective conditioning using punishment and reinforcers be?

Answer 33

contingent & contiguent

Question 34

5 major schedules of reinforcement

Answer 34

continuous
fixed ratio
variable ratio
fixed interval
variable interval

Question 35

continuous reinforcement

Answer 35

where the desired effect is reinforced every time it occurs

Question 36

fixed ratio reinforcement

Answer 36

such as every fifth or tenth, or any such regular correct response is reinforced

Question 37

variable ratio reinforcement

Answer 37

where the number of correct responses is constantly altered

Question 38

fixed interval reinforcement

Answer 38

reinforcement made once every fixed number of minutes, so long as there has been at least one correct result during that time

Question 39

variable interval reinforcement

Answer 39

where the time between reinforcements is varied

Question 40

which type of reinforcement did Skinner find that animals were quickest to condition by?

Answer 40

continuous reinforcement

Question 41

shaping

Answer 41

any behaviour which vaguely resembles what is being looked for is reinforced

reinforcements then become increasingly selective