Operant Conditioning Flashcards
Key People
Thorndike (puzzle box, cat, cause & effect)
Skinner (skinner box, pigeon)
Contingencies
Follow a behavior and affect the likelihood of the behavior recurring
- Reinforcement: increase frequency of behavior
- Punishment: decrease frequency of behavior
Each come in two forms:
Positive—Stimulus is added
Negative—stimulus is taken away
Operant Conditioning Theory
Classical conditioning was too limiting, left no room for volitional behaviors or learning from reinforcement and punishment
Discrimination
Recognizing that in some situations, the same behavior will not be reinforced
Thorndike’s Law of Effect
Behaviors are initially emitted in a random trial and error fashion
Random behaviors that are followed by pleasurable, beneficial consequences become stronger while behaviors followed by unpleasant consequences become weaker
Theory later revised–stopped believing that punishment would work
All species react ________ to learning environments
the same
Positive Reinforcement
Reward; dessert for doing your dishes after dinner
Negative Reinforcement
Associated with relief, escape; you don’t have to sweep the kitchen if you do your dishes after dinner
Positive Punishment
Associated with pain, something negative is introduced following behavior; you get a spanking if you do not do your dishes
Negative Punishment
Associated with loss, something pleasurable is taken away following the behavior; you do not get to go to your friend’s house if you do not do your dishes
Decoding Contingencies
- Define target behavior
- Determine what occurs after the behavior
- Discern if the behavior is likely to increase or decrease in recurrence over time.
Reinforcement schedule
Frequency with which a behavior is reinforced
A. Continuous, 1.1, type of fixed ratio; good during acquisition. Risk of satiation
B. Intermittent Reinforcement
Reinforcement Window
Behavior must be reinforced within window of time between foresight and hindsight, hill example—must be able to see the reward
Phases of New Behavior
- Acquisition
- Maintenance
- Extinction
Operant Strength
how powerful the conditioning is, strength of behavior; judged by how easily it can be extinguished
Criteria for Intermittent Reinforcement Schedule
Four intermittent schedules based on two criteria
- Predictable or not predictable (fixed vs. variable) *unpredictable is strongest
- Occurrence of behavior or passage of time (ratio vs. Interval) *behavior occurrences is strongest
Intermittent Reinforcement Schedules
- Fixed Ratio: free cup of coffee for every five you purchase
- Variable Ratio: slot machine (strongest)
- Fixed Interval: Paycheck every two weeks (weakest)
- Variable Interval: Checking your email
Extinction in Operant Conditioning
Stop providing reinforcement
Length of time for extinction depends on reinforcement schedule
Response burst will be observed before extinction
Stimulus Generalization
Will and Alleks (stimulus) come over and like my buffalo chicken (response) so I, MYSELF, GENERALIZE their enjoyment to ALL PEOPLE (stimulus) who come over
Response Generalization
Alleks (stimulus) likes Chocolate Torte (response) so I, MYSELF, GENERALIZE the response to chocolate, and make brownies the next time she comes over
Discrimination Learning
Process by which subjects learn to respond differently to different stimuli (dogs learn difference between different tones or bells)
Prompting
Giving subject a cue so they can get reinforced. Prompts are slowly reduced or “faded”
Child prompted to do behavior, are reinforced; e.g. “say thank you”, “what do you say”, certain look at child
Shaping (by successive approximations)
Shaping by Successive Approximation—small portions of the goal behavior are reinforced, one at a time; baby steps toward target behavior
Chaining
Stringing together complex sequenced behaviors with small rewards after each step with major reinforcement reserved until final result
Classes, semesters, practicums, graduation, licensing exams,
