behaviourist approach- operant conditioning Flashcards
(7 cards)
what are the 6 AO1 points you must know for operant conditioning?
-Definition of Operant Conditioning
-Thorndike’s Law of Effect
-Skinner’s Experimental Method
-Types of Reinforcement
-Punishment and Behaviour Suppression
-Schedules of Reinforcement
What is operant conditioning?
Operant conditioning is learning through the consequences of behaviour: actions followed by reinforcers are strengthened, while those followed by punishment are weakened.
What is Thorndike’s Law of Effect?
Edward Thorndike found that behaviours producing satisfying consequences become more likely to recur, whereas those with annoying consequences become less likely—forming the foundation of operant principles.
How did Skinner’s “Skinner Box” demonstrate operant conditioning?
B.F. Skinner placed animals in boxes with levers or keys. He delivered food pellets (positive reinforcer) or removed electric shocks (negative reinforcer) contingent on responses, systematically measuring response rates under different conditions.
What are positive and negative reinforcement?
Positive reinforcement: presenting a desirable stimulus (e.g., food) after a behaviour, increasing its frequency.
Negative reinforcement: removing an aversive stimulus (e.g., loud noise) after a behaviour, also increasing its frequency.
How does punishment differ from reinforcement?
Punishment introduces an aversive consequence (or removes a positive one) to decrease a behaviour’s occurrence. Unlike reinforcement, it does not teach or strengthen an alternative response.
What are the main schedules of reinforcement and their effects?
Continuous: every response is reinforced—quick learning but rapid extinction once stopped.
Partial (Intermittent): only some responses reinforced—slower acquisition but greater resistance to extinction. Types include fixed-ratio, variable-ratio, fixed-interval, and variable-interval schedules.
