Behaviourist Approach (Operant Conditioning) Flashcards
1
Q
operant conditioning
A
- form of learning in which behaviour is shaped + maintained by its consequences
= positive + negative reinforcement + punishment - positive and negative reinforcement increase the likelihood of that behaviour being repeated
- punishment decreases the likelihood of that behaviour being repeated
2
Q
reinforcement
A
- a consequence that makes a behaviour more likely to occur
- positive reinforcement
- negative reinforcement
3
Q
punishment
A
- consequence that makes a behaviour less likely to occur
- positive punishment
- negative punishment
4
Q
positive reinforcement
A
- receiving a reward when a certain behaviour is performed
- primary = this reinforcement meets natural needs
- secondary = meeting all needs
5
Q
negative reinforcement
A
- occurs when we avoid something unpleasant
6
Q
positive punishment
A
- adding something unpleasant as a consequence
7
Q
negative punishment
A
- taking away something
- Finding a way to avoid that would be negative reinforcement
8
Q
Skinner’s experiment
A
- method of learning focuses on behaviour producing consequences e.g. punishment, positive reinforcement or negative reinforcement
- The Skinner box was a cage which has loud speakers, lights, a lever, a door and a floor which could be electrified
- One hungry rat at a time would be placed in the skinner box + would be allowed to freely run round
- The rat might accidentally press the lever + the rat would be rewarded by a food pellet which would drop into the skinner box (positive reinforcement)
- The rat would continue to press the lever in order to receive a food pellet in the future,
= the rat soon learns that pressing the lever leads to a reward - The rat could also learn that by pressing the lever they could avoid something unpleasant
- An example is that by pressing the lever the rat could avoid receiving an electric shock
= negative reinforcement
9
Q
schedules of reinforcement
A
- continuous reinforcement
- fixed interval
- fixed ratio
10
Q
continuous reinforcement - schedules of reinforcement
A
Every time the rat presses the lever they will always receive a food pellet
11
Q
fixed interval - schedules of reinforcement
A
The rat presses the lever and only receives a food pellet during a fixed time only, e.g. every 30 seconds
12
Q
fixed ratio - schedules of reinforcement
A
The rat must press the lever for a fixed number of times and then it will receive the food pellet
13
Q
ads of operant conditioning
A
- token economy
- experimental method
14
Q
disads of operant conditioning
A
- free will
- ethical issues
15
Q
token economy - ads of operant conditioning
A
- research evidence to support the idea of operant conditioning in real world
- token economy is used in prisons + hospitals
- acts as a form of behaviour modification
- works by rewarding behaviour with a token
= exchanged for privileges (secondary positive reinforcement) - psychs used token economy to treat SZ patients
= found their behaviour became more appropriate
