Operant conditioning theory Flashcards
how is behaviour learnt according to the operant conditioning theory?
through consequences- either reinforcement or punishment
what was skinners box? (Burrhus Fredric Skinner, 1948)
it contained a rat and a supply of food pellets that could be released when the animal learnt to do something,
some operant chambers also contained electrified floors which could be used to punish behaviour
Using reinforcement and punishment, skinner and colleagues could train the animals to learn target behaviours
what is reinforcement?
where a behaviour is encouraged to continue and is usually a pleasant consequence
what is a reinforcer?
the event that leads to the increased likelihood of the behaviour being repeated
what is positive reinforcement?
when someone pleasant is added to increase the likelihood of a behaviour
what is negative reinforcement?
when something unpleasant is removed to increase the likelihood of a behaviour
what is a punishment?
an action following a behaviour which will decrease the likelihood of that behaviour from happening again
what is a positive punishment?
something unpleasant is added to decrease the likelihood of a behaviour
what is a negative punishment?
something pleasant is removed to decrease the likelihood of a behaviour
what is a primary reinforcer?
something rewarding as they have biological significant
what are some examples of primary reinforcers?
food
sex
shelter
drinks
what is a secondary reinforcer?
reinforcers associated with primary reinforcers
what are some examples of secondary reinforcers?
money (can buy food/drinks)
cool job (can make us sexually attractive)
what is continuous reinforcement?
leads to rapid change in behaviour but the effects tend not to last
what is a fixed ratio reinforcement schedule?
a reinforcer is given after a specified number of behaviours
what is partial reinforcement?
reinforcement is irregular
what is a variable ratio reinforcement schedule?
a reinforcer is given after an unpredictable amount of behaviours that varies around a mean value
what do variable ratio reinforcement schedules lead to?
behaviour which is difficult to extinguish
what is a fixed interval reinforcement schedule?
the time between reinforcers is kept constant
what is a variable interval reinforcement schedule?
the time between reinforcers is varied around a mean length of time.
which reinforcement schedule tends to result in the most consistent behaviour?
variable interval schedules
what is behaviour modification?
a form of therapy in which reinforcement is systematically used to increase the number of instances of desired behaviour
what research by Cassie Ford et al (2017) is an example of behaviour modification?
assessed head-impact using helmet sensors in American footballers and using individual mentoring to provide reinforcement to the high-risk players.
Mean intensity dropped by 3.9% overall and by 4.7% on the top-of-the-head.
what is shaping (behaviour modification)?
its used to encourage complex behaviours
