Operant Conditioning Flashcards
1
Q
Define Operant Conditioning
A
Learning through reinforcement.
2
Q
Who created the theory?
A
B.F.Skinner (1938)
3
Q
Define Positive Reinforcement
A
When a behaviour cause a desirable outcome, you are more likely to repeat it.
4
Q
Define Negative Reinforcement
A
When a behaviour results in the removal of something unpleasant, you are more likely to repeat it.
5
Q
Define Punishment
A
Where a behaviour results in an undesirable outcome, you are unlikely to repeat it.
6
Q
What was Skinner’s experiment?
A
- Skinner box = cage of stimuli including a food dispenser and electric floor.
- rat placed in box: accidentally hits lever for food dispenser and is rewarded with a piece of food; rat learns the lever results in food (PR)
- rat placed in box: electric floor is turned on, rat accidentally hits lever which stops the current; rat learns lever stops the eclectic shock (NR)
7
Q
Strengths of Operant Conditioning
A
- Skinner’s experiment is laboratory based so high internal validity
- used in schools to modify behaviours of students
8
Q
Weaknesses of Operant Conditioning
A
- cannot be realistically generalised as rats are a different species
- humans have free will so may not react in the same way
