Operant Conditioning & Skinner's Research (approaches | LA: the Behaviourist Approach)

Question 1

Operant conditioning (OC) is

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learning via consequences

Question 2

Operant conditioning (OC) along with classical conditioning

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it is one of the core assumptions which underpin the behaviourist approach

Question 3

Where classical conditioning emphasises

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the stimulus-response mechanism of learned behaviour

Question 4

Where classical conditioning emphasises the stimulus-response mechanism of learned behaviour, OC emphasises

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the role of reward and reinforcement in behaviour

Question 5

OC emphasises the role of reward and reinforcement in behaviour, some behaviours will be

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repeated based on their positive consequences

Question 6

OC emphasises the role of reward and reinforcement in behaviour, some behaviours will not be

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repeated based on their negative consequences

Question 7

OC emphasises the role of reward and reinforcement in behaviour, some behaviours will be repeated not

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for their positive consequences but to avoid their negative consequences e.g. ‘I suppose I’d better choose the lentil and sprout salad just to stop my friend nagging me about how unhealthy my diet is’

Question 8

Consequences are learned via three types of direct reinforcement:

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• positive reinforcement
• negative reinforcement
• punishment

Question 9

direct reinforcement: positive reinforcement is

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performing a behaviour to experience the positive consequences e.g. completing homework to gain praise from the teacher

Question 10

direct reinforcement: negative reinforcement is

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performing a behaviour to avoid unpleasant consequences e.g. completing homework to prevent being given a detention

Question 11

direct reinforcement: punishment is

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• a type of deterrent that can be positive/direct e.g. told off by the teacher
• a deterrent can also be negative/indirect e.g.not being allowed to attend a party

Question 12

The consequence of the performed behaviour is known as the

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reinforcer

Question 13

The consequence of the performed behaviour is known as the reinforcer e.g. praise from the teacher is a

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positive reinforcer

Question 14

The consequence of the performed behaviour is known as the reinforcer e.g. a detention is a

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negative reinforcer

Question 15

B.F. Skinner (1953) suggested that

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learning is an active process whereby humans and animals operate upon their environment (hence, ‘operant conditioning’)

Question 16

Skinner identified three types of operant

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• neutral operants
• reinforcers
• punishers

Question 17

Neutral operants are

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environmental forces that neither increase nor decrease the repetition of a specific behaviour

Question 18

Reinforcers are

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environmental forces that increase the repetition of a specific behaviour

Question 19

A positive reinforcer is

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a behaviour which is repeated to enjoy the pleasant consequences

Question 20

A negative reinforcer

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is a behaviour which is repeated to avoid unpleasant consequences

Question 21

Punishers are

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environmental forces that decrease the repetition of a specific behaviour

Question 22

Skinner set up a series of experiments to determine how

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animals learn from the consequences of their actions, dependent upon the specific operants he implemented

Question 23

Skinner devised a box known as the

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‘Skinner Box’

Question 24

Skinner devised a box known as the ‘Skinner Box’
- Skinner placed

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one rat at a time inside the box

Question 25

Skinner devised a box known as the 'Skinner Box' - Each box

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contained different stimuli, including a lever that released food (the rat's reward) and an electroplated floor (the rat's punishment)

Question 26

Skinner devised a box known as the 'Skinner Box' - Positive

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reinforcement was demonstrated by placing a hungry rat in the box

Question 27

Skinner devised a box known as the 'Skinner Box' - The box contained a

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lever which the rat (initially) accidentally triggered as it explored the box

Question 28

Skinner devised a box known as the 'Skinner Box' - Upon triggering

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the lever a food pellet was delivered (reward)

Question 29

Skinner devised a box known as the 'Skinner Box' - The rats quickly

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learned (it only took them a few tries) to go straight to the lever

Question 30

Skinner devised a box known as the 'Skinner Box' - The consequence/reward (food)

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of pressing the lever saw them repeating the action over and over again

Question 31

Skinner devised a box known as the 'Skinner Box' - Negative reinforcement was demonstrated

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by placing a rat in the box and then subjecting it to an unpleasant electric shock (punishment)

Question 32

Skinner devised a box known as the 'Skinner Box' - Negative reinforcement was demonstrated, the rat (initially)

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accidentally triggered the lever as it explored the box

Question 33

Skinner devised a box known as the 'Skinner Box' - Negative reinforcement was demonstrated, upon triggering the lever

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the electric current was switched off (unpleasant sensations stopped)

Question 34

Skinner devised a box known as the 'Skinner Box' - Negative reinforcement was demonstrated, the rats quickly learned

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to trigger the lever immediately as soon as they were placed in the box

Question 35

Skinner devised a box known as the 'Skinner Box' - Negative reinforcement was demonstrated, the consequence/reward

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of escaping the electric shock saw them repeating the action over and over again

Question 36

Skinner devised a box known as the 'Skinner Box' - In another variation, the rats learned to

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avoid the electric shock (punishment) by pressing the lever when the light came on (avoiding punishment = negative reinforcement)

Question 37

The 'Skinner box' diagram

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Question 38

Evaluation of operant conditioning & Skinner's research Strengths - OC has good

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application to the maintenance of phobias

Question 39

Evaluation of operant conditioning & Skinner's research Strengths - OC has good application to the maintenance of phobias, someone

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with social phobia uses avoidance to stay away from any events involving people, socialising etc.

Question 40

Evaluation of operant conditioning & Skinner's research Strengths - OC has good application to the maintenance of phobias, the use of

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avoidance is an example of negative reinforcement i.e. taking steps to keep away from large gatherings of people

Question 41

Evaluation of operant conditioning & Skinner's research Strengths - OC has good application to the maintenance of phobias, the more

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the avoidance is repeated the more the phobic person is rewarded with feelings of relief and security

Question 42

Evaluation of operant conditioning & Skinner's research Strengths - Skinner used

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standardised procedures in controlled conditions which means that his research has good reliability

Question 43

Evaluation of operant conditioning & Skinner's research Strengths - Skinner used standardised procedures in controlled conditions which means that his research has good reliability, reliability

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is a strength of experimental research as it satisfies the criteria for falsifiability i.e. the theory can be tested scientifically

Question 44

Evaluation of operant conditioning & Skinner's research Limitations - OC cannot

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explain why some people may repeat behaviours which are damaging, detrimental or unpleasant

Question 45

Evaluation of operant conditioning & Skinner's research Limitations - OC cannot explain why some people may repeat behaviours which are damaging, detrimental or unpleasant, people who self-harm

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may do so for the specific relief it brings them but such behaviours would not be recognised as positive reinforcers by OC

Question 46

Evaluation of operant conditioning & Skinner's research Limitations - OC cannot explain why some people may repeat behaviours which are damaging, detrimental or unpleasant, people who continue to smoke

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even though they may find the taste and the smell of cigarettes unpleasant defy the assumptions of OC

Question 47

Evaluation of operant conditioning & Skinner's research Limitations - Skinner's research is overly

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simplistic (environmental reductionism)

Question 48

environmental reductionism is

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the idea that people are at the mercy of their environment, and react passively to it

Question 49

Evaluation of operant conditioning & Skinner's research Limitations - Skinner's research is overly simplistic (environmental reductionism), humans

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are much more complex and sophisticated than animals and operate at a higher cognitive level

Question 50

Evaluation of operant conditioning & Skinner's research Limitations - Skinner's research is overly simplistic (environmental reductionism), humans are much more complex and sophisticated than animals and operate at a higher cognitive level, people

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are more able to take control of their behaviour via mechanisms such as self-efficacy than the behaviourists give them credit for