W4: Operant Conditioning

Question 1

Operant Conditioning

Answer 1

Operant conditioning: learning controlled by its consequences.

Involves reinforcements and punishments.

Question 2

Operant vs Classical

Answer 2

Responses:
- Classical: ELICITED automatically
- Operant: EMITTED voluntarily.

Rewards:
- Classical: provided unconditionally
- Operant: dependent on action

Behaviour depends primarily on:
- Classical: autonomic nervous system
- Operant: skeletal muscles

Question 3

Thorndike’s law of effect

Answer 3

If a response followed by a behaviour that results in a satisfying reward, the stimulus is more likely to elicit the behaviour in the future

Question 4

Positive reinforcement

Answer 4

Presenting a desirable stimulus –> increases target behaviour

Question 5

Negative reinforcement

Answer 5

Removing an undesirable stimulus –> increases target behaviour

Question 6

Positive punishment

Answer 6

Presenting an aversive stimulus –> decreases target behaviour

Question 7

Negative punishment

Answer 7

Removing a stimulus –> decreases target behaviour

Question 8

Discriminative stimulus

Answer 8

Stimulus associated with the presence of reinforcement

Question 9

Major principles of operant conditioning

Answer 9

Acquisition

Extinction

Spontaneous recovery

Stimulus discrimination

Stimulus generalisation