Operant Conditioning Flashcards
What does operant conditioning say about how we learn?
Everything is learned through reinforcement
Law of effect = if the result of a behaviour is good it will be repeated (same with negative)
Trial and error learning = to learn/solve a problem by trying alternative possibilities until a correct solution or desired outcome is achieved
What is positive reinforcement?
Giving someone something to increase the likelihood of a response e.g. giving them sweets to keep up the good work
What is negative reinforcement?
Providing an escape from unpleasant consequences to increase the likelihood of a behaviour happening again e.g. you don’t have to stay for detention if the work is finished before 3pm
What is positive punishment?
Giving someone something negative to decrease the chances of the behaviour happening again e.g. being shouted at to stop you talking in class
What is negative punishment?
Having something removed to decrease the chances of the behaviour happening again e.g. phone being confiscated to stop the child from staying out too late
What is continuous reinforcement?
Reinforce you EVERY time you do something
What is partial reinforcement?
Reinforce you after a certain period of time/after so many events and there are 4 types
What is fixed interval?
Reward of first correct response only after a set interval so learning may take longer but response rate is higher later on e.g. skinner’s rats after 30s
What is variable interval?
Reward time varies following the first correct response e.g. reward after 5 minutes then another reward after 20 minutes
What is fixed ratio?
Response is reinforced only after a specified number of responses e.g. free coffee every 10 stamps
What is variable ratio?
Response is reinforced after a set number of times then varies e.g. free coffee every 10 stamps but then free coffee after 3 stamps then 5 stamps
How does Skinner support operant conditioning?
Found animals could learn to do various behaviours like push buttons through reinforcement so animals can learn through the process of reinforcement in order to get treats/rewards in the skinner box
Why is animal research not good to explain operant conditioning?
May not apply directly to human learning through reinforcement as they are different so evidence from Skinner may not explain how humans learn, meaning it is an incomplete theory of learning
Why is operant conditioning useful?
Explains phobias which continue through reinforcement so explains real world events and why we find it difficult to get over phobias, meaning it is a credible theory of learning
Why is it a problem for operant conditioning to ignore biological explanations of behaviour e.g. genetics?
Doesn’t account for biological explanations of behaviour so it is an incomplete explanation of how behaviour is learned
