Post on 25-Feb-2016
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Thinking About Psychology:
The Science of Mind and Behavior
Charles T. Blair-BroekerRandal M. Ernst
Operant Conditioning
Module 16
Operant Conditioning
• A type of learning in which the frequency of a behavior depends on the consequence that follows that behavior
• The frequency will increase if the consequence is reinforcing to the subject.
• The frequency will decrease if the consequence is not reinforcing to the subject.
Difference between Classical and Operant conditioning
• Classical• * involuntary response (something you must
do – ex?)• Learned association
between stimuli
• Operant• Voluntary response• Based on a
consequence – reward or punishment
The Law of Effect
Module 16: Operant Conditioning
Edward Thorndike (1874-1949)
• Author of the law of effect• Behaviors with favorable consequences
will occur more frequently.• Behaviors with unfavorable
consequences will occur less frequently.• Created puzzle boxes for research on
cats
Thorndike’s Puzzle Box What is the voluntary response?
B.F. Skinner (1904-1990)
• Developed the fundamental principles and techniques of operant conditioning and devised ways to apply them in the real world
• Designed the Skinner Box, or operant chamber
Operant Chamber
Using Thorndike's law of effect as a starting point, Skinner developed the
Operant chamber, or the Skinner box, to study operant conditioning.
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Reinforcement/Punishment
• Reinforcement - Any consequence that increases the likelihood of the behavior it follows
• Punishment - Any consequence that decreases the likelihood of the behavior it follows
• The subject determines if a consequence is reinforcing or punishing (ex. go to your room)
Reinforcement
Module 16: Operant Conditioning
Positive Reinforcement
• Anything that increases the likelihood of a behavior by following it with a desirable event or state
• The subject receives something they want
• Will strengthen the behavior
Positive Reinforcement
Positive reinforcement
• With a partner, come up with one example of positive reinforcement for:– A kid– A teenager– An adult
Negative Reinforcement
• Anything that increases the likelihood of a behavior by following it with the removal of an undesirable event or state
• Something the subject doesn’t like is removed
• Will strengthen the behavior
Negative Reinforcement
Negative reinforcement
• With a partner, come up with on example of negative reinforcement for:– A kid– A teenager– An adult
Positive/Negative Reinforcement
Big Bang Theory clip
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guroaQRFsX4
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Analyze Charts of Reinforcement
Reinforcement: Immediate Versus
Delayed Reinforcement
Module 16: Operant Conditioning
Immediate & Delayed Reinforcers
1. Immediate Reinforcer: A reinforcer that occurs instantly after a behavior. A rat gets a food pellet for a bar press. (30 seconds)
2. Delayed Reinforcer: A reinforcer that is delayed in time for a certain behavior. A paycheck that comes at the end of a week.
3. Which is more effective?4. Which leads to higher achievement?5. Which do you prefer?
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Reinforcement: Primary Versus
Secondary Reinforcement
Module 16: Operant Conditioning
Primary Reinforcement
• Something that is naturally reinforcing• Examples: food, warmth, water, etc.• The item is reinforcing in and of itself
• Ex. You want to train your dog to “shake”. What do you give it to reinforce the desired behavior?
Secondary Reinforcement
• Something that a person has learned to value or finds rewarding because it is paired with a primary reinforcer
• Money is a good example because?• But, your dog doesn’t want money.
What could be a secondary reinforcer for a dog?
Punishment:The Process of
Punishment
Module 16: Operant Conditioning
Types of Punishment
• An undesirable event following a behavior (positive or negative?)
• A desirable state or event ends following a behavior (positive or negative?)
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Analyze Punishment Charts
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PUNISHMENT
• REMEMBER:
• POSITIVE IS TO ADD • NEGATIVE IS TO SUBTRACT
• DO NOT THINK IN TERMS OF GOOD AND BAD!
Punishment Examples
• Come up with an example of Positive Punishment– For a toddler– For a teenager– For an adult
• Come up with an example of Negative Punishment– For a toddler– For a teenager– For an adult
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Punishment examples
• Write down about time when you were punished.
• What were the immediate and lasting effects?
• Did the punishment fit the crime?• Did the punishment decrease the behavior?
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Positive Effects of Punishment
• Punishment can effectively control certain behaviors.
• Especially useful if teaching a child not to do a dangerous behavior
• Most still suggest reinforcing an incompatible behavior rather than using punishment
Negative Effects of Punishment
• Doesn’t prevent the undesirable behavior when away from the punisher
• Can lead to fear, anxiety, and lower self-esteem
• Children who are punished physically may learn to use aggression as a means to solve problems.
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GUIDELINES IN USING PUNISHMENT
• Specify why• Concentrate on behavior not the person• Should be immediate and strong enough
without being too strong• Be careful of escalation (if punishment is
not given early enough, bad behavior escalates
• Combine with other behavior
Some Reinforcement Procedures:
Shaping
Module 16: Operant Conditioning
Activity
Shaping
• Reinforcement of behaviors that are more and more similar to the one you want to occur
• Technique used to establish a new behavior
Schedules of Reinforcement:
Continuous Reinforcement
Module 16: Operant Conditioning
Continuous reinforcement
• A schedule of reinforcement in which a reward follows every correct response
• Most useful way to establish a behavior• The behavior will extinguish quickly
once the reinforcement stops.
Schedules of Reinforcement:
Partial Reinforcement
Module 16: Operant Conditioning
Partial Reinforcement
• A schedule of reinforcement in which a reward follows only some correct responses
• Includes the following types:–Fixed-interval and variable interval–Fixed-ratio and variable-ratio
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PARTIAL OR INTERMITTENT REINFORCEMENT TERMS
• Fixed - Never changing• Variable - Changing• Interval - Having to do with time• Ratio - Having to do with behavior or
performance
Fixed-Interval Schedule
• A partial reinforcement schedule that rewards only the first correct response after some defined period of time
• i.e. weekly quiz in a class
Variable-Interval Schedule
• A partial reinforcement that rewards the first correct response after an unpredictable amount of time
• i.e. “pop” quiz in a class
Fixed-Ratio Schedule
• A partial reinforcement schedule that rewards a response only after some defined number of correct responses
• The faster the subject responds, the more reinforcements they will receive.
Variable-Ratio Schedule
• A partial reinforcement schedule that rewards an unpredictable number of correct responses
• This schedule is very resistant to extinction.
• Sometimes called the “gambler’s schedule”; similar to a slot machine
Schedules of Reinforcement
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Schedules of Reinforcement Activity
Some Reinforcement Procedures:
Discrimination and Extinction
Module 16: Operant Conditioning
Discrimination
• The ability to distinguish between two similar stimuli
• Learning to respond to one stimuli but not to a similar stimuli
Extinction
• In operant conditioning, the loss of a conditioned behavior when consequences no longer follow it.
• The subject no longer responds since the reinforcement or punishment has stopped.
New Understandings of Operant
Conditioning: The Role of Cognition
Module 16: Operant Conditioning
Latent Learning
• Learning that takes place in absence of an apparent reward
• Ex. Who thinks they can tell me the times for the periods today WITHOUT looking?
Cognitive Map
• A mental representation of a place• Experiments showed rats could learn a
maze without any reinforcements• Is an example of latent learning• Do you know what lot to park in at the
mall based on how close it is to a store you wanted to go to?
Overjustification Effect• The effect of promising a reward for
doing what someone already likes to do• The reward may lessen and replace the
person’s original, natural motivation, so that the behavior stops if the reward is eliminated
• Ex. You get straight A’s. Parents start to give $5 for each A. Senior year they stop giving you $ for A’s. You…?
New Understandings of Operant
Conditioning:The Role of Biology
Module 16: Operant Conditioning
Biological Predisposition
• Research suggests some species are biologically predisposed to learn specific behaviors
• Why is it easy to teach a dog to “fetch” a ball, but difficult to teach a dog not to chase a squirrel?
The End