Operant Conditioning

Question 1

What is operant conditioning?

Answer 1

aka instrumental conditioning (certain responses are learned because they operate on, or affect, the environment)

Question 2

What is a Skinner box (operant chamber)?

Answer 2

It gets animals to learn behavior. HE placed a hungry animal in a box and if they press a button they receive food. Receiving the food pallet is the reinforcer because it teaches the animal the behavior that they should do and it increases bar pressing

Question 3

What is shaping?

Answer 3

reinforcing closer and closer approximations of the desired response

Question 4

What are continuous and intermittent (partial) reinforcement?

Answer 4

continuous - consequences are the same each time the behavior occurs (best for quick immediate learning)
intermittent (partial) - consequences are given only some of the times the behavior occurs (best for long term learning)

Question 5

What are the schedules of reinforcement (fixed-ratio, variable-ratio, fixed-interval, and variable-interval)?

Answer 5

FR - reinforcement for a fixed proportion of responses emitted
VR - reward for some percentage of responses, but number of responses required before reinforcement is unpredictable (less likely to stop behavior)
FI - reinforcement for responses after a fixed amount of time (dentist every 6 months encourages flossing)
VI - reinforcement for responses after an amount of time that is not constant (unpredictable - restaurant inspections)

Question 6

What are intrinsic and extrinsic motivation?

Answer 6

intrinsic - pursuit of activity for its own sake (you value it so you think it’s important to do it)
extrinsic - pursuit of a goal for external award (being motivated to do hw because you know you’ll get ice cream after)

Question 7

What is the overjustification effect?

Answer 7

too much reward -> undermines intrinsic motivation