operant conditioning Flashcards
reinforcement
when a behaviour is followed by an event which increases the likelihood of that behaviour being repeated.
positive reinforcement
when somethings pleasant is introduced following a behaviour eg money
negative reinforcement
something unpleasant is removed following a behaviour eg pain
primary reinforcer
have bio significance eg food, drink
positive punishment
when something unpleasant is introduced following a behaviour eg shout
negative punishment
when something nice is removed eg phone taken
This theory was developed by B. F. Skinner, an American behaviourist.
operant conditioning involves learning through consequences. it is more voluntary than learning seen in classical conditioning. the idea is that when people behave in a particular way and are rewarded for it, they will repeat it. if they are punished for the behaviour, they will stop.
Operant Conditioning tells us that behaviour is based on A-B-C, so if you want to change behaviour, you must change the antecedents (what has already happened) or the consequences; it’s much easier to change the consequences.
Reinforcement is when the desired behaviour is rewarded. This makes it more likely to be repeated.
Positive reinforcement rewards the desired behaviour by adding something pleasant – food, affection, a compliment, money.
Negative reinforcement rewards the desired behaviour by removing something unpleasant – taking away pain or distress, stopping criticism, cancelling a fine.
There’s also primary reinforcement, which is when the reward is something we want naturally – a basic need such as food, warmth or affection. Secondary reinforcement is a reward we have learned to value – like money.
Punishment is when undesirable behaviour produces unpleasant consequences. Again, there is positive punishment, which punishes the undesirable behaviour by adding something unpleasant (a shock, a criticism, copying out lines), and negative punishment, which punishes by removing something pleasant (being ‘grounded’, deducting money, removing the Xbox).
evidence
there is evidence to supporting the use of reinforcement in shaping behaviour. thorndike and skinner: operant conditioning can be applied animals like rats and pigeons by reinforcing and punishing targeted behaviours.
:) using controlled lab studies, they were able to identify various schedules of reinforcement. findings have been replicated.
CA= on the other hand, because they focused on learning in animals it is difficult to generalise to humans.
application
behaviour modification is used for treatments for mental health problems such as schizophrenia and autism.
S/W
:( use of animal research raises the issue of generalising findings from animals and applying them to humans. animals have different anatomy and physiology and their day to day experiences are very different to humans. a fundamental difference between rat and human is language.
:( reductionist - reducing behaviour to learning through reinforcement. underestimates the role of bio factors, including genetic differences and instincts on behaviour. skinners observations only account for observable behaviours and do not account for any unobservable behaviours, for example mental and emotional states, making his explanations limited and oversimplified.
alternative
bio theories suggest animals may be born with instincts or more predisposed to learn certain behaviours which is ignored by operant conditioning. therefore, learning theory is reductionist.
