Operant conditioning Flashcards
What is operant conditioning ?
Process of learning using rewards & punishment to modify behaviour
What 2 things must operant conditioning be ?
- Contingent
- Contiguent
What does contingent mean ?
Clear link between person’s behaviour & consequence it produces - know exactly what they are being rewarded / punished for
What does contiguent mean ?
Consequence follows soon after behaviour
What happens if they are given reward/punished too long after behaviour ?
Conditioning is weakened - don’t know what they are rewarded/punished for
What is Thorndike’s puzzle box ?
- Cat in box & solve puzzle to escape
- Cat initially climbed everywhere & unlocked latch to escape = given food as reward
- Trial & error = cat learned unlocking latch & escape means reward
What is Thorndike’s law of effect ?
- Response followed by positive consequence = repetition of behaviour
- Unpleasant consequence = avoidance of behaviour
What is Thorndike’s law of exercise ?
More often a response is formed, more likely it is that behaviour is repeated
What is successive approximations method ?
Responses closely approximating desired behaviour are reinforced, which eventually leads to desired behaviour
What is positive reinforcement ?
Reward is given following behaviour
What is negative reinforcement ?
Something bad taken away following behaviour
What is positive punishment ?
Adding aversive stimuli that reduces showing of a behaviour
What is negative punishment ?
Removing desirable stimuli that reduces the showing of a behaviour
What is a reinforcement ?
Aims to increase repetition of behaviour
What is a punishment ?
Aims to decrease repetition of behaviour
What is a primary reinforcer ?
Occurs naturally & satisfies basic needs
What is a secondary reinforcer ?
Strengthens behaviour & are associated with primary reinforcer
What is continuous reinforcement ?
Behaviour reinforced every time it is seen
What is partial reinforcement ?
Behaviour reinforced some of the time
What does partial reinforcement do ?
Make behaviours longer to learn but more resistant to extinction
What are the 6 schedules of reinforcement ?
- Continuous reinforcement
- Partial reinforcement
- Fixed interval
- Variable interval
- Fixed ratio
- Variable ratio
What is fixed interval ?
- Reward occurs at regular time
- Learning & extinction are medium
What is variable interval ?
- Rewards occurs but not exactly sure when
- Learning = fast
- Extinction = slow
What is fixed ratio ?
- Reward occurs everytime the desired behaviour is carried out so often
- Learning = fast
- Extinction = moderate
What is variable ratio ?
- Reward occurs randomly after a changing number of behaviours
- Learning = fast
- Extinction = slow
How is Skinner’s pigeons supporting research ?
- 8 starved pigeons in box with food dispensed every 15s
- 6/8 gave unusual repetitive behaviours (jumping up & down, bobbing head)
- Concluded pigeons repeating whatever behaviour they had been in middle of doing when reinforcement first offered
What is a criticism ?
- Difficult to show through adults as not studies from birth
- Impossible to identify specific causes/consequences which may have lead to another
How good is research into OC ?
- Largely based on animal studies
- More likely to be driven by innate factors
- Too different for comparison
- Lacks generalisability
How is OC reductionist ?
- Undermines influences of biological factors
- Only focuses on observable factors
- Mental & emotional states neglected
- Explanations limited & oversimplified
What are the applications ?
- Allen & Milan = TEP
- Act desirably = given token which is exchanged for reinforcers
- Socially approved behaviours are learn & undesirable behaviours extinguished
- Hobbs & Holt = TEP reduce antisocial behaviour in a juvenile detention care
