Classical Conditioning
- relates to reflexive behaviours: elicited by antecendent stimuli
- important for: protection and regulation
- only make up a small percentage of human behaviour
-> useful in considering fears and phobias
Reflex
A stimulus-response relation (S-R) consisting of an antecedent stimulus and the respondent behaviour it elicits
-> unconditioned response occurs when an unconditioned stimulus is presented
How does Classical Conditioning work?
A previously neutral stimulus is paired with an Unconditioned Stimulus - Stimulus-Stimulus pairing
After continuous pairing together the Neutral Stimulus on its own can elicit the same response
Neutral stimulus becomes a Conditioned Stimulus and elicits a Conditioned Response similar to the Unconditioned Response
Pavlov’s Dog
Unconditioned Stimulus (Food) -> Unconditioned Response (Salivation)
Neutral Stimulus (Bell) -> Neutral Response (No response)
Unconditioned Response (Food) + Neutral Stimulus (Bell) = Response (Salivation)
Condtioned Stimulus (Bell) -> Conditioned Response (Salivation)
Respondent Extinction
Conditioned reflex weakens if the conditioned stimulus is repeatedly presented in the absence of the unconditioned stimulus
Operant Behaviour
Behaviour whose future frequency is determined primarily by its history of consequences
Learned: selected, shaped and maintained by the consequences that have followed it in the past
Ontogeny: Behaviour selected by consequences across the lifespan
-> accounts for a much larger proportion of our repertoire than reflexive behaviour
Behaviour: The B in A-B-C
we develop objective definitions of behaviours of interest (operational definition) so that we:
-> know what to look for
-> can measure it accurately
-> can evaluate the results of our intervention/teaching
Operant Conditioning: The C in A-B-C
The biggest influence on how likely a behaviour is to happen in the future is the immediate consequence for it
Behaviour is either:
-> more likely in the future (reinforcement)
-> less likely in the future (punishment or extinction)
Reinforcement
when the behaviour is followed by a consequence, and the future frequency of the behaviour increases
Punishment
When behaviour is followed by a consequence and the future frequency of the behaviour decreases
Extinction
When reinforcement is discontinued for a previously reinforced behaviour and the future frequency of the behaviour decreases
Positive reinforcement
Something is added to the environment contingent on a behaviour, which increases the likelihood that the behaviour will occur in the future
- positive social response
- Attention
- Paycheck
Negative reinforcement
Something is taken out of the environment contingent which increases the likelihood that the behaviour will occur in the future
- Pain relief
- Break from a task
- Avoid an awkward conversation
Characterised by escape and avoidance contingencies
Examples of Positive Reinforcement
Exam coming up -> Study -> Get good grade
Works as a saleperson -> Work hard, increase your sales -> Get a bonus
Phone is locked -> Enter correct PIN -> You unlock phone
Examples of Negative Reinforcement
Raining -> Put up umbrella -> Rain removed -> Put up umbrella when raining in future
Hands are wet -> rubs hands in towel -> water removed -> you rub hands in towel when hands are wet in future
Annoying car in front of you -> Blast your car horn -> Annoying car pulls over -> You blast horn at annoying cars in the future
Positive Punishment
Something is added to the environment contingent on a behaviour which decreases the likelihood that the behaviour will occur in future:
- A reprimand
- Pain
- Social disapproval
Negative Punishment
Something is taken out of the environment contingent on a behaviour which decreases the likelihood that the behaviour will occur in the future:
- Loss of money
- Being excluded
- Losing something you like
Examples of Positive Punishment
You are late for work -> You drive over the speed limit -> you get penalty points -> you don’t speed when running late in future
Eating in restaurant and waiter says watch the plate is hot -> You grab the plate anyways -> You burn your hand -> You don’t grab hot plates in the future
Examples of Negative Punishment
Get a text message -> enter PIN incorrectly -> get locked out of phone -> less likely to enter PIN incorrectly in the future
A person in a pub -> Get in a fight -> Gets barred from the pub -> Less likely to start fight in the future
Consequences: Why Behaviour Works The Function of Behaviour
To get access to something
-> Go to work = get paid
To get attention (positive or negative)
-> Telling a joke or story = peers laugh
For sensory stimulation
-> Pushing your temples = temporary relief/distraction from headache
To avoid or “get out of” something
-> Don’t answer the phone = Avoid conversation
The A in A-B-C: Antecedents
- when a contingency is established (reinforcement, punishment, extinction), it changes the future frequency of the behaviour and it creates a relationship between the behaviour and certain antecedent conditions
-> these antecedents become cues in our environment that influence our behaviour
The way antecedents can influence our behaviour can be described in terms of cues that let us know that reinfocement is more likely (discriminative stimuli SD)
-> engaging in a certain behaviour in the presence of an SD -> Reinforcement
-> engaging in that behaviour in the absence of an SD -> no reinforcement
Motivation (Antecedent)
another antecedent: motivating operations
-> how motivated a person is to engage in a behaviour at any given moment
Think about the consequence or reinforcer: Is it valuable to them right now?
Example: Motivation
If I’m hungry, food will be a very effective motivator and behaviours that have accessed food in the past will increase (establishing operation)
If I’m full, food won’t be an effective motivator so I won’t engage in those behaviours (abolishing operation)
How to apply A-B-C?
If:
1. We know what the behaviour we want to increase (e.g., communication skills, developmental milestone) or decrease (e.g., hitting, biting) looks like (B)
2. We know how it interacts with the environment (C)
-> then we can arrange the environment (A and C) to make it more or less likely to occur (C)
