Operant Conditioning (unit 4) Flashcards
Operant Conditioning
method of learning that occurs through rewards and punishments for behavior ex. a child is scolded for ignoring homework
Negative (-) Punishment
occurs when an unfavorable event or outcome is removed after a behavior occurs, a punishment by removal ex. when a child misbehaves their parent takes their toy
Chaining
breaks a task down into small steps and then teaches each step within the sequence by itself ex. a kid learning to wash their hands may start with learning how to turn the faucet on
Positive (+) Punishment
Presents an unfavorable event or outcome in order to weaken the response it follows, punishment by application ex. spanking a child when he throws a tantrum
Positive Reinforcement
Favorable event or outcome that are presented after the behavior response ex. giving a child a treat when they are polite
Primary Reinforcers
occurs naturally and doesn’t require learning in order to work, often have an evolutionary basis that aid in survival ex. food, water, air, and sex
Punishment
the presentation of an adverse event or outcome that causes a decrease in the behavior ex. getting your phone taken away
Reinforcement Schedules
A pattern that defines how often a desired response will be reinforced ex. giving a child a piece of candy every time they use the potty
Reinforcement
A consequence that follows an operant response that increase the likelihood of that response of reoccuring ex. giving praise, token rewards
Discrimination (Operant Conditioning)
when different situations occasion different responses based off the contingency of reinforcement ex. when you tell a story to your friends but not to your gramma
Secondary Reinforcers
Involves stimuli that have become rewarding by being paired with another reinforcing stimulus (learned through association) ex. verbal praise, stickers, toys, candy
Extinction (Operant Conditioning)
occurs when a response no longer results in reinforcement, the reinforcement consequence stops ex. once a parent would scold their child when they hit, now they don’t
Negative Reinforcement
The removal of an unfavorable event or outcome after the display of a behavior, response is strengthened by the removal of something bad ex. leaving early to avoid hitting traffic
Spontaneous Recovery (Operant Conditioning)
the reemergence of conditioned responding to an extinguished conditioned stimulus after a period of time ex. the dog learns to sit when the trainer gives it food, the trainers stops giving food and the dog stops responding until one day the trainer offers food again and the dog sits
Generalization (Operant Conditioning)
spreading the effects of the reinforcement on other similar responses to the one that resulted in the reinforcement ex. getting a cookie when you do the dishes so you also do the laundry
Token Economy
Reinforcers that are symbols or tokens that can be exchanged for other reinforcers, material or priviledge ex. money, snacks
Fixed-Interval Schedule
the first response is rewarded only after a specific amount of time, tends to respond more frequently as the reward time gets closer ex. a weekly paycheck
Fixed-Ratio Schedule
Response is rewarded only after a specific number of responses ex. a child being given candy every 6-10 pages of a book they read
Variable-Interval Schedule
occurs when a response is rewarded after an unpredictable amount of time has passed ex. checking your email
Variable-Ratio Schedule
Response is reinforced after an unpredictable number of responses ex. gambling at a slot machine, gambling rewards unpredictably
Overjustification Effect
Phenomenon in which being rewarded for something actually diminishes intrinsic motivation ex. if children are rewarded for drawing they are less likely to want to draw for fun
Continuous Reinforcement
the repeated reinforcement of a behavior every time it happens, this can involve positive or negative reinforcement with the goal of encouraging certain actions ex. a child earns an hour of free time every time they complete a chore