5B - Operant Conditioning

Question 1

Operant Conditioning

Answer 1

is a three-phase process that involves learning an association between a stimulus, a behaviour performed and the resulting consequences

Question 2

Important To Remember

Answer 2

• behaviour is voluntary
• the learner chooses to perform the behaviour
• form of learning in which the behaviour becomes controlled by its consequences

Question 3

Three-Phase Process

Answer 3

Antecedent
Behaviour
Consequence

Question 4

Antecedent

Answer 4

Object, circumstance, event, trigger, environment etc…

‘Discriminative Stimulus’

e.g - owner sitting at the table eating pizza

Question 5

Behaviour

Answer 5

Learner’s voluntary response

‘Operant response’

e.g - dog sitting and staring at owner as they eat pizza

Question 6

Consequence

Answer 6

An event that follows the response, either making it more or less likely to be repeated

This stage determines the likelihood of repeating the behaviour again, either increases or decreases a learner’s desire to repeat the behaviour

e.g - owner gives pizza crust, increases the likelihood of sitting in the future

Question 7

Reinforcement

Answer 7

Positive - something pleasant is added

Negative - something aversive is taken away

Question 8

Punishment

Answer 8

Positive - something aversive is added

Negative - something positive is taken away