Operant Conditioning Flashcards
What is operant conditioning?
Learning process where animals make an association between a behaviour and a consequence. It involves reinforcement or punishment to increase or decrease the likelihood of a behaviour.
What is positive reinforcement? Give an example.
The addition of a stimulus after a behaviour which increases the likelihood of that behaviour being repeated - e.g. giving a dog a treat when sitting on command.
What is negative reinforcement? Give an example.
Involves the removal of an unpleasant stimulus after a behaviour which increases the likelihood of it being repeated - e.g. releasing the pressure on a dog back when sat.
What is positive punishment? Give an example.
The introduction of an unpleasant stimulus after a behaviour, decreasing the likelihood of it being repeated - e.g. spraying a cat when scratching the sofa.
What is negative punishment? Give an example.
Removal of a desirable stimulus or reward following a behaviour, decreasing the likelihood of the behaviour - e.g. stopping petting a puppy if it bites, repeating this until they stop the behaviour.
What is Skinner’s box? How is it used in operant conditioning?
A controlled environment used to study rat behaviour, consisting of levers/buttons that can be pressed to receive an award or avoid a punishment.
Rats learn to associate actions (pressing a lever) with consequences (receiving food or an electric shock).
What are the key components of operant conditioning?
Includes reinforcement to increase the likelihood of a behaviour and punishment to decrease the likelihood of a behaviour.
What role do consequences play in operant conditioning?
They shape and modify behaviour by rewarding desired actions and penalising undesirable ones, influencing future behaviour.
