Operant Conditioning

The Learner is NOT passive.

Learning based on

consequence!!!

Edward Thorndike

• Law of Effect: behavior followed by

favorable consequences

becomes more likely;

behaviors followed by

unfavorable

consequences become

less likely

(basis of Operant Conditioning)

The Law of Effect

• Edward Thorndike• Locked cats in a cage• Behavior changes because

of its consequences.• Rewards strengthen

behavior.• If consequences are

unpleasant, the Stimulus-Reward connection will weaken.

• Called the whole process instrumental learning.Click picture to see a better

explanation of the Law of Effect.

Skinner Box – a

chamber containing a

bar that an animal can

manipulate to obtain a

food or water

reinforcer; devices are

attached to record the

animal’s rate of bar

pressing

•Skinner Box Video

Operant Conditioning Chamber

Conditioning

An operant conditioning chamber permits experimenters to study behavior

conditioning (training) by teaching a subject animal to perform certain

actions (like pressing a lever) in response to specific stimuli, like a light or

sound signal. When the subject correctly performs the behavior, the

chamber mechanism delivers food or another reward

Shaping

• an operant conditioning procedure in

which reinforcers guide behavior

toward closer and closer

approximations of a desired goal

“Good job” when they

get on all fours

Give them a candy when

they start crawling toward

you

Hug and a kiss when

they stand up

SHAPING DEMO

Operant Conditioning• A type of learning in which behavior is

strengthened if followed by reinforcement

or diminished if followed by punishment.

REINFORCEMENT PUNISHMENT

Comparing

Classical Conditioning & Operant Conditioning

• Behavior affected is

usually INVOLUNTARY

• Behavior affected is

usually VOLUNTARY

• Key events are

PRESENTED to the

learner

• Key events are

PRODUCED by the

learner

• Events CAUSE the

behavior

• Events CONTROL the

behavior

• The learner does not

have a choice

• The learner has a

choice

OPERANT

CONDITIONING

REINFORCEMENT

(increase behavior)

PUNISHMENT

(decrease behavior)

POSITIVE

(adding something to the

situation)POSITIVE

REINFORCEMENT

POSITIVE

PUNISHMENT

NEGATIVE

(removing something from

the situation)NEGATIVE

REINFORCEMENT

NEGATIVE

PUNISHMENT

Reinforcer

• Any event that STRENGTHENS the

behavior it follows.

Two Types of Reinforcement:

Positive and Negative

Positive Reinforcement

• STRENGTHENS a behavior by ADDING a

stimulus after a response

• INCREASING the behavior of doing

chores by ADDING money

Positive Reinforcement

Negative Reinforcement

• STRENGTHENS a behavior by

REMOVING an aversive stimulus.

• INCREASING the behavior of smoking by

REMOVING the anxiety

Negative Reinforcement

Reinforces• A reinforcer is anything

that INCREASES a behavior.

Positive Reinforcement:

• The addition of something pleasant.

Negative Reinforcement:

• The removal of something unpleasant.

Positive or Negative?

Putting your seatbelt on.Studying for a test.

Having a headache and taking an aspirin.

Faking sick to avoid AP Psych class.

Breaking out of jail.

Getting a kiss for doing the dishes.

Punishment• An event that

DECREASES the behavior that it follows.

Positive Punishment• DECREASES a behavior by ADDING a

stimulus after a response.

• DECREASING the behavior of misbehaving by ADDING a spanking

Negative Punishment

• DECREASES a behavior by REMOVING

an aversive stimulus.

• DECREASING the behavior

of texting by REMOVING

the cell phone

PunishmentMeant to decrease a

behavior.Positive Punishment• Addition of something

unpleasant.Negative Punishment

(Omission Training)• Removal of something

pleasant.Punishment works best

when it is immediately done after behavior and if it is harsh!

Limitations of Punishment• Punishment often only produces temporary suppression

• Punishment produces undesirable emotional side effects

• Children who are physically punished learn to model or imitate aggressive acts and often become more aggressive in their interactions with others

• Punishment NEVER teaches a new behavior

Making Punishment more Effective

• Apply punishment immediately

• Apply punishment consistently

• Apply punishment

moderately

• Avoid withholding

love

• Countercondition

(reinforce

alternative positive

behaviors)

Types of Reinforcement• Continuous Reinforcement: reinforcing the

desired behavior everytime it occurs.

– Learning happens very quickly.

– Extinction happens very quickly if

reinforcement is stopped.

• Partial (Intermittent) Reinforcement:

reinforcing a desired behavior only part of the

time.

– Learning takes longer (slower acquisition)

– TAKES LONGER for extinction to occur.

Primary vs. Conditioned Reinforcers

Primary Conditioneda stimulus that gains its reinforcing power

through its association with a primary reinforcerAn innately reinforcing stimulus, such as

one that satisfies a biological need

food

water

sex

Affiliation (family and friends)

Removal of pain

Money

Praise

Status

Prestige

???

Fixed-ratio Schedules

• A schedule that reinforces a response only

after a specified number of responses.

Example: I give cookie monster a cookie every FIVE times he sings “C is

for cookie”.

- foul out after 5 fouls, typist paid per page

Or A factory worker may be paid $1 for every 3 T-shirts they

make.

Variable-ratio Schedule

• A schedule of reinforcement that reinforces a response after an unpredictablenumber of responses.

Example: I give Homer a donut at random

times when he says “DOH!!!”

- slot machines, door-to-door sales

How can I

use this?

• Utilizing the variable ratio schedule of reinforcement is the key to attraction

– First, these rules only apply to people who are ALREADY INTERESTED in you.

– Research shows that people tend to date within 20% of their own attractiveness level

– Therefore, you can date +/- 2 of your rating

– What’s my rating? Ask 10 strangers (friends/relatives will not give you an accurate rating)

• Once the person is interested in you, you can

utilize variable ratio schedule of reinforcement to

keep their interest

• Follow the 1/3-2/3rds rule: Every 3 times they do

something, do it back to them once (or twice)

– If they call you three times, call them back only twice

– If they buy you a present, the present you buy them

should only be about 1/3 value

– Don’t say “I love you” back to them every time they

say it (DON’T SAY I LOVE YOU FIRST)

• KEY POINT: The person who cares the least,

or appears to care the least in a relationship

holds the most power

Fixed-interval Schedule• A schedule of

reinforcement that reinforces a response only after a specified time has elapsed.

Example: I give Bart a Butterfinger every ten

minutes after he moons someone.

- paychecks, test every two weeks

Variable-interval Schedule• A schedule of

reinforcement that

reinforces a

response at

unpredictable time

intervals.

Pop Quizzes, Redialing after a

busy signal

Comparing

Classical Conditioning & Operant Conditioning

• Behavior affected is

usually INVOLUNTARY

• Behavior affected is

usually VOLUNTARY

• Key events are

PRESENTED to the

learner

• Key events are

PRODUCED by the

learner

• Events CAUSE the

behavior

• Events CONTROL the

behavior

• The learner does not

have a choice

• The learner has a

choice

Cognitive Processes of CC

• •Does Classical Conditioning work as well

on humans as it does on animals??

• –No, because of our cognition and

intelligence

• –Our thought processes make it harder to

form classical conditioning

• •This is why alcohol therapy doesn’t work!!

Biological Predispositions of CC

• •An animal’s capacity for conditioning is

constrained by its biology

• •Certain species are disposed to learn

particular associations that enhance their

survival

• •If we CC a rat to associate radiation with

water, would it be most affected by the

SIGHT of water, the TASTE, or the

SOUND?

Biological Predispositions of CC

• •John Garcia studies: researched the

effect of radiation on lab animals

• •Rats developed aversions to the TASTES

but not the sights or sounds

• •Makes ADAPTIVE sense: rats rely on

sense of taste more to survive

Cognitive & Biological Processes of Operant

Conditioning

• •Cognitive processes are also at work in operant learning

• –Animals on a fixed-interval reinforcement schedule

respond more frequently as the time gets closer to the

reinforcer (EXPECTATIONS)

• •Biological Predispositions of Operant Conditioning

• •It is easier to reinforce behaviors normally associated

with their natural behaviors

• –Example –can use a food reinforcer to get a hamster to

rear up, more difficult to use a food reinforcer to get a

hamster to wash its face

Social Learning Theory

Behaviorist vs Cognitivist Theories

Behaviorist: Only cares about behavior – what a person does –

Learning is mechanical – you behave the way you

do because of external stimuli – no internal

processes are required (learning by thinking about

something or watching it)

Cogntivist: Care about what a person knows (instead of

does). Learning serves a purpose. You can learn

by watching or thinking about something.

Latent Learning

• learning that occurs but is not apparent

until there is an incentive to demonstrate it

Cognitive Map

• A mental representation of the layout of

one’s environment

Overjustification Effect

• the effect of promising a reward for doing

what one already likes to do

What is Observational

Learning?

• Modeling: Learning by observing and

imitating the behavior of others

Prosocial vs. Antisocial

Behavior

• Prosocial Behavior: positive,

constructive, and helpful behavior

• •Prosocial modeling is most effective when

actions and words are consistent!

Prosocial vs. AntisocialBehavior

• Antisocial Behavior: negative,

destructive, and hurtful behavior

Albert BANDURA

• Albert Bandura –Bobo Doll

study

• •1961 –demonstrates power

of observational learning –

key nameb. 1925

Albert Bandura’s Experiment on

Modeling (Bobo Doll Experiment)

• Experiment that showed children could easily learn aggression through observational learning modeling.

• Frustrated children go to beat on clown after seeing adult model do the same.

• After a variety of experiments, many consider Bandura to be the father of social learning theory.

Social Learning Theory: Monkey See,

Monkey Do (Observational Learning)

• Observational

learning describes

process of learning

by observing others.

• Modeling is an

example of

observational

learning by which

we imitate a specific

behavior.

Observational Learning/Modeling

Theory Leads to Questions About the

Impact of Television on Viewers

Wolfgang KOHLER• Insight learning. Argued that animals learn

through insight learning.

• insight learning is a type of learning or problem

solving that happens all-of-a-sudden through

understanding the relationships various parts of

a problem rather than through trial and error.

(a.k.a. the “aha!” moment)

key name1887-1

967

Kohler’s Experiment

PROBLEM: Food has been placed beyond the

reach of the chimps, outside a closed pen.

1. failure

2. pause

3. look at the potential tools

4. the attempt

The chimps behavior all seemed to follow a similar

pattern that suggested to Kohler that the chimps

were demonstrating insight and planning

the chimp jumps fruitlessly at bananas that have been hung out of

reach

after a period of unsuccessful jumping, the chimp apparently

becomes angry or frustrated, walks away in seeming disgust,

pauses

the chimp looks at the food in what might be a more reflective way, then at the toys in the enclosure, then back at the food, and then at the toys again.

the animal begins to use the toys to get at the food

Insight is also know as an

“Aha! Moment” or “Lightbulb Moment”

Other Terms on the Test

• •Learned Helplessness –When a person

repeatedly fails at something and gives up

or loses confidence

• •Learned Taste Aversion –becoming sick

from eating food at a restaurant will cause

you to feel sick when you go to that

restaurant again or see the food that made

you sick