Operant conditioning Flashcards
What is operant conditioning?
- Form of learning where an individual’s responses are controlled by their consequences (reward or punishment)
Skinners rat’s
- Skinner placed hungry rats in a specially designed box (Skinner Box).
- Inside, rats learned to press a lever to receive a food pellet (positive reinforcement).
- In another version, rats could press the lever to stop an electric shock (negative reinforcement).
- Over time, the rats pressed the lever more frequently, showing that behaviour can be shaped and maintained by its consequences.
What is positive reinforcement?
- Positive reinforcement is when a desirable stimulus is added after a behaviour, making it more likely to occur again (e.g., giving a treat for completing homework).
What is negative reinforcement?
- Negative reinforcement is when an unpleasant stimulus is removed after a behaviour, increasing the likelihood it will be repeated (e.g., taking painkillers removes pain).
What are primary reinforcers?
- stimuli needed for survival (e.g. food, water, sleep, air)
What are secondary reinforcers?
- stimuli that are rewarding because we have learned to associate them with primary reinforcers (e.g., money, praise, attention)
What are schedules of reinforcement?
- They are rules that determine how often a behaviour is reinforced.
- Different schedules produce different patterns of response.
What is continuous reinforcement?
- Every time the desired behaviour occurs, it is reinforced.
- Example: Giving a dog a treat every time it sits.
What are the four main reinforcement schedules?
- Fixed ratio
- Variable ratio
- Fixed interval
- Variable interval
What is a fixed ratio schedule?
- Reinforcement is given after a set number of correct responses.
- EG: Workers receiving extra money for achieving certain targets.
What is a variable ratio schedule?
- Reinforcement is given after an unpredictable number of responses (averages out over time).
- EG: Slot machines – reward after a random number of plays
What is a fixed interval schedule?
- Reinforcement is given for the first response after a set time interval has passed.
- EG: Getting paid every 2 weeks regardless of performance.
What is a variable interval schedule?
- Reinforcement is given for the first response after a random time interval.
- EG: Checking for a message – it might arrive at any time.
What is behaviour shaping?
- Behaviour shaping involves reinforcing successive approximations of the target behaviour.
- EG: Teaching a dog to roll over by rewarding each small step (sit → lie down → roll over).
- AO3 Tip: Useful for teaching complex behaviours in manageable steps — especially in education or animal training.
What is a token economy?
- A token economy is a behaviour modification system where individuals receive tokens for displaying desired behaviours. Tokens can later be exchanged for rewards.
EG: Used in: prisons, psychiatric wards, schools.
How does a token economy work?
- Target behaviours are identified (e.g., following rules, hygiene).
- Tokens (e.g., stickers, points) are awarded when behaviour occurs.
- Tokens are exchanged for privileges (e.g., extra TV time, snacks).
- System encourages positive reinforcement.
Strength – Real-world effectiveness
Token economies have been shown to be effective in institutional settings like prisons and psychiatric hospitals.
They promote positive behaviours in individuals who may be resistant to other treatments.
Strength – Ethical and structured
Behaviour shaping and token economies are seen as more ethical than punishment-based methods — they focus on rewarding good behaviour rather than punishing bad ones.
Weakness – Limited long-term effect
- Once the reinforcement (tokens) is removed, the desired behaviour may extinguish.
Token economies may not lead to lasting change outside controlled environments.
Weakness – Individual differences
- Not everyone finds the same rewards motivating, so token economies may not work equally well for all individuals.
Evidence
P- Strong evidence , skinner supports
E- Showed rats learnt when to press a level to receive a treat, not press a target if a certain light was on, or press a button to avoid a shock
E- Therefore showing how behaviour can be learn through positive reinforcement and punishment and negative reinforcement.
Applications
P- Resulting treatment called token economy programmes
E- Involves giving secondary reinforces in response to desirable behaviours (eg: token for good behaviour in prison can then be transferred to buy things)
E- Therefore can aid in creating and shaping more positive behaviours
Contrasting
P- SLT disagrees
E- It suggests that humans can learn through observation. Bandura found that children copied an adult acting aggressively toward Bobo doll.
E- Therefore observed behaviour may be limited if desirable consequences are expected, without the need for trial and era.
How good is the research
P- Low as skinner evidence was an animal study
E- Animals anatomies and physiology are different from humans and they cannot think about their experiences and invoke logic, patience, memory etc.
E- Therefore animals are qualitatively different from humans and results not representative of those found in human studies, limiting application
CP- Animal research allows for testing under more controlled conditions establishing proper cause and effect of the impact of rewards and punishment.
