Skinner's Operant Conditioning

Question 1

What is Operant Conditioning?

Answer 1

A type of learning in which behavior is strengthened if followed by a reinforcer or diminished if followed by a punisher

(Created by B.F. Skinner)

Question 2

Operant Chamber

Answer 2

(Aka Skinner box) in Operant conditioning research, a chamber containing a bar or key that an animal can manipulate to obtain a food or water reinforcer; attached devices record the animal’s rate of bar pressing or key pecking

Question 3

Reinforcement

Answer 3

Any event that STRENGTHENS the behavior it follows

Question 4

Shaping

Answer 4

Procedure in which reinforcers guide behavior toward closer and closer approximations of the desired behavior

Question 5

Discriminative stimulus

Answer 5

A stimulus that elicits a response after association with reinforcement (in contrast to related stimuli not associated with reinforcement)

Question 6

Positive reinforcement

Answer 6

Increasing behaviors by presenting positive reinforcers. A positive reinforcer is any stimulus that when PRESENTED after a response, strengthens the response

Example: pay the person who paints your house, pet a dog that comes when you call it

Question 7

Negative reinforcement

Answer 7

Increasing behaviors by stopping or reducing negative stimuli. A negative reinforcer is any stimulus that when REMOVED after a response, strengthens the response (is NOT a punishment!)

Example: taking painkillers to end pain

Question 8

Primary Reinforcer

Answer 8

An innately reinforcing stimulus, such as one that satisfies a biological need (unlearned)

Example: getting food when hungry

Question 9

Conditioned (secondary) reinforcer

Answer 9

A stimulus that gains its reinforcing power through its association with a primary reinforcer

Example: in a Skinner box a rat learns that a light reliability signals a food delivery, a rat will work to turn on the light. The light has become the conditional reinforcer

Question 10

Reinforcement Schedule

Answer 10

A pattern that defines how often a desired response will be reinforced

Question 11

Continuous reinforcement

Answer 11

Reinforcing the desired response every time it occurs.
*pro= increase behavior quickly but lots of cons

Example: when we stop delivering food to the rat when it turns on the light, the rat will eventually stop trying to turn the light on

Question 12

Partial (intermittent) reinforcement

Answer 12

Reinforcing a response only part of the time; results in slower acquisition of a response but much greater resistance to extinction than does continuous reinforcement

Example: a slot machine and gamblers trying time and time again to win

Question 13

Fixed-ratio schedule

Answer 13

A reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response only after a specified number of responses

Example: a coffee shop rewarding us a free drink after every 10 purchases

Question 14

Variable-ratio schedule

Answer 14

A reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response after an unpredictable number of responses

Example: slot machine players causing high rates of responses

Question 15

Fixed-interval schedule

Answer 15

A reinforcement schedule that reinforces a responses at unpredictable time intervals

Example: people checking more frequently for the mail as the delivery time approaches

Question 16

Variable-interval schedule

Answer 16

A reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response at unpredictable time intervals

Example: rechecking emails or Snapchat

Question 17

Punishment

Answer 17

An event that tends to DECREASE the behavior that it follows