operant conditioning Flashcards
what are the differences between classical and operant conditioning?
classical = responses already occur naturally, only the stimuli can be manipulated to elicit these responses
operant = new behaviours are created in response to a consequence
define ‘positive reinforcement’ and give an example
when something pleasant is given in response to a desired behaviour being performed. increases likelihood of it being performed again.
* e.g. giving a dog a treat when they act welll behaved or perform a trick
define ‘negative reinforcement’ and give an example
when something unpleasant is taken away in response to a desired behaviour, increases probability of desirable behaviour being performed and repeated.
* e.g. doing homework to avoid detention
what is primary positive reinforcement?
reinforcement that satisfies a basic need such as getting food
what is secondary positive reinforcement?
reinforcement that enables you to access primary reinforcers such as money for food
define ‘punishment’
causing some kind of physical or mental distress by giving a negative consequence and so decreasing the probability of the undesirable behaviour being repeated
define ‘positive punishment’ and give an example
giving something unpleasant in response to an undesired behaviour
* e.g. getting hit by a ruler at school for bad behaviour
define ‘negative punishment’ and give an example
taking away something pleasant in response to an undesired behaviour, or being deprived of something
* e.g. parents taking away a childs phone for being naughty
what is meant by ‘shaping’?
- changing reinforcement in order to produce a very specific behaviour
- learning a new skill through different stages.
what are the stages of shaping?
- rewarding behaviour in the direction of the desired behaviour
- rewarding similar behaviour
- only rewarding the desired specific behaviour
what are ‘uncontrollable reinforcers’?
when the behaviour
has no real effect on the apparent ‘reward’ but the reward follows the behaviour so that they appear to be linked
- e.g. a pigeon being taught to walk in a circle in order to receive a reward
what are schedules of reinforcement?
amount of time or frequency between showing the desired behaviour and being reinforced for it
describe continuous reinforcement and give an example
when the desired effect is reinforced every time it occurs
* every time a dog sits on command it is given a treat
* response rate= fast
* extinction rate= fast (becomes predictable, bored of same reinforcement)
describe fixed ratio reinforcement
when reinforcement occurs at regular intervals, e.g. every time you reach 5 points on a coffee card you get the 6th coffee free
* response rate= slower
* extinction= slower
describe variable ratio reinforcement
when the number of necessary correct responses is constantly altered, e.g. you do not know how often a gambling machine gives a reward
* response rate= fast
* extinction rate= impossible
describe fixed interval reinforcement
reinforcement made once every fixed amount of time e.g. being paid on the same day every month regardless of work hours
* response rate= medium
* extinction rate= medium (could just do minimum in order to gain the reward)
what is a strength of operant conditioning (PEE)?
- supporting study thorndike
a strength of operant conditioning is the supporting evidence from Thorndike’s study. for example, the cat in the cage was positively reinforced with salmon when it lifted the latch on the cage but negatively reinforced by an electric shock when it wasn’t lifting the latch. therefore, this shows how a behaviour can be learned as the individual acts to receive the reward and avoid the unpleasant consequences, so behavioiur can be learnt through reinforcement.
what is a strength of operant conditioning (PEE)?
- supporting evidence Simek and O’Brien.
a strength of operant conditioning is the supporting evidence from Simek and O’Brien. they found that children trained in basketball and golf by this behavioural method showed faster improvement than those trained by conventional methods. therefore, this shows that in a real life setting, positive reinforcement can increase productivity and means improvements in performance can be made faster.
what is a weakness of operant conditioning (PEECA)?
- criticism animal research
a weakness of operant conditioning is that much of the research is carried out on animals. animals have different brain structures such as the cerebral cortex which has a role in problem solving/memory. therefore, the findings cannot represent the way that humans would respond. however, the research methods are objective and involve standardised procedures which makes them reliable and easy to replicate.
what is a strength of operant conditioning (PEE)?
- application
a strength of operant conditioning is that there are practical applications. for example, token economy is used in schools/prisons and provides secondary reinforcers in return for primary reinforcers. additionally, it helps to explain how behaviours such as addiction can arise. therefore, the concepts can be used to formulate treatments or therapy which can improve quality of life.
describe why a sticker chart may not be working for a child who is rewarded when they sit quietly and allowed to play football if they collect 5 stickers at the end of the week. (2 marks)
a reason that the sticker chart isn’t working is because it is not consistent enough. the child is only rewarded with football at the end of the week meaning they may become bored, especially if a sticker is not given every single time they are quiet, meaning it isn’t positively reinforced. in order to be motivating, token economy should be used every time the behaviour occurs.
