SU5 SKINNER Flashcards
Define cognition and cognitive
Cognitive refers to mental processes such as thinking,
reasoning, and problem-solving.)
- Cognition is the process of acquiring knowledge and
understanding through thought, experience, and the senses.
how did skinner view the person-
skinner believed that humans were the outcome of evolution (evolutionism) and that behaviour is determined by environmental factors beyond humans’ control (environmental determinism) he regards humans as unfree ( no freedom of choice) behaviour is determined by the environmentpsychology is simply the study of laws that govern behaviour of organism
Does skinner use any structural parts when explaining personality
behaviour.
resondent-behaviour stimulated by something to which the organism responds. he regards reflexes as well as learnt responsesas respondent behaviorThis refers to automatic, reflexive behaviour
triggered by specific stimuli
operant behavior-This involves voluntary behaviors that are influenced by consequences. produced spontaneously by organism called emergent behavior it has an effect on the environment and is controlled by this effect
what is a stimulus
Any event or object that can evoke a response
what is a response
behavior that follows after stimuli
Discriminative Stimulus:
A stimulus that signals the likelihood of a
reinforcement or punishment.
2 concepts skinner uses to describe learning
behavior- organisms learn by producing behaviour which may or may not be repeated depending on the outcome
reinforcement-consequence that follows behaviour increasing the likelihood of that behavior being repeated
what is classical conditioning\respondent conditioning ?
classical conditioning is referred to as respondent conditioning teaching organisms to associate a familiar response with a new stimulus
Operant conditioning
Learning occurs through reinforcement behavior is controlled by the stimuli that succeeded it (come after it) organism learns to repeat a behavior that satisfy need or which is experienced as pleasant
describe the reinforcementconcepts
Positive reinforcement involves adding a pleasant reward after a
desired behaviour to encourage that behaviour to happen again
Negative reinforcement involves removing an unpleasant stimulus
when a desired behaviour occurs, which also encourages that
behaviour to be repeated.
explain punishment and extition
Punishment-involves introducing an unpleasant stimulus or
removing a pleasant stimulus to decrease the likelihood of an
unwanted behaviour happening again.
Extinctionoccurs when a behaviour stops happening because
it is no longer reinforced. When a behaviour that was once
rewarded stops receiving reinforcement, it gradually
disappears
primary and secondary reinforcers
Primary - Anything of biological value to the organism e.g food
secondary-a stimulus that has acquired reinforcement value e.g money because of its association with primary reinforcers
advantages and disadvantages for continuous reinforcements
effective for teaching new behaviors quickly but behavior may stop if reward is removed
scedules of reinforcements
programmes according to which reinforcers are offered
types of schedules of reinforcement
*Continuous reinforcement is a type of operant conditioning where a behaviour is reinforced every time it occurs. According to Skinner, this schedule is highly effective for teaching new behaviours because individuals quickly learn the connection between their actions and the reward
*Intermittent reinforcement is a type of operant conditioning in which a behaviour is reinforced only some of the time, rather
than after every occurrence.
* According to Skinner, this type of reinforcement makes behaviours more resistant to extinction because individuals
continue performing the behaviour even when rewards are not consistently given.
*Fixed Ratio (reward after a set number of responses)
*variable Ratio (reward after a random number of responses, like a slot machine)
*Fixed Interval (reward after a fixed time period, like weekly
homework prizes):
Advantages and disadvantages of intermittent reinforcement
Advantage: More resistant to extinction.
* Disadvantage: Slower learning
advantage and disadvantage of a fixed ratio
Advantage: Encourages consistent effort.
* Disadvantage: Motivation may drop if rewards are predictable
advantage and disadvantage of variable ratio
dvantage: Most resistant to extinction; maintains motivation.
* Disadvantage: Harder to apply in structured learning
fixed interval advantage or disadvantage
- Advantage: Creates anticipation for rewards.
- Disadvantage: Students may only work hard near the reward
period
what is shaping
step by step contitioning of complex behaviour Instead of waiting for the perfect behaviour, small steps or gradual
improvements toward the target behaviour are reinforced. This method is
helpful when a complex behaviour is difficult to achieve all at once.
advantages of shaping
Encourages gradual improvement, which is especially useful
for students who struggle with motivation.
* Builds confidence by recognizing small achievements along
the way.
* Increases student engagement with homework by making the
task less overwhelming and more achievable.
when does optimal development occur
According to Skinner, optimal development occurs when
individuals are consistently reinforced for desired behaviours
skinners view on psychopathology views
Skinner views psychopathology as the result of learned maladaptive behaviours reinforced by the environment.
what is the value of skinners theory
Education: Enhancing Learning through Reinforcement
* Value: Skinner’s theory is widely used in classrooms to
increase student motivation and shape positive behaviours
through reinforcement strategie
Psychotherapy: Behaviour Modification for Mental Health
* Value: In therapy, Skinner’s principles are used in behaviour
modification techniques to help clients unlearn negative
behaviours and adopt healthier habits
Research: Understanding Human and Animal Behaviour
* Value: Skinner’s methods allow psychologists to study how
behaviour is learned and modified through controlled
experiments.
Handling Aggression: Managing Violence and Conflict
* Value: Skinner’s approach is used to reduce aggression by
reinforcing positive behaviours and removing reinforcements
for violent actions.
strength and weakness of skinners theory
Strengths:
* Provides clear, observable methods to change behaviour.
* Scientifically tested with measurable results.
* Effective for habit formation and behaviour management.
* Weaknesses:
* Ignores internal mental processes (cognition, emotions).
* Too mechanistic, treating people like machines responding to stimuli.
* Behaviour may not generalize to other situations once reinforcement stops.
