operant conditioning Flashcards
(23 cards)
operant conditioning
Positive reinforcement
Anything pleasant given when a desired behavior is performed
this increases the probability that the behavior will be repeated
operant conditioning
Negative reinforcement
When something unpleasant is removed slash avoided after the design behaviour is performed
this increases the probability of the desired behavior being repeated
operant conditioning
Positive punishment
When an undesired behaviour is observed something unpleasant will happen
this decreases the chance of the undesired behaviour being repeated
operant conditioning
Negative punishment
When something is taken away to stop and underside behaviour
this means it is less likely for that undesigned behavior to be repeated
operant conditioning
Neutral operants
They are responses from the environment that neither increase nor decrease the probability of the behavior being repeated
operant conditioning
ABC model
A - antecedent a cue and/or motivation to perform behavior
(reinforcer)
B - behaviour . The observed behaviour that happens as result of A
C- consequence
By getting the primary/ secondary reinforcer it increases the likelihood of the behavior being repeated in the future
operant conditioning
Primary reinforces
Directly receiving a reward typically with things that aid survival
EG food, shelter, social interaction
operant conditioning
Secondary reinforces
E.G. Tokens, money or stickers to enable you to get a primary reinforcer you decide what kind of primary reinforcer you want
operant conditioning
How are the reinforces used
They’re usually used as positive reinforcements as a reward for a desired behavior being shown or as motivation to perform a desired behavior
operant conditioning
Schedules of reinforcement
Different schedules of reinforcement have different effects on the response rate [which is the rate at which something occurs eg a behavior]
And Extinction rate [the rate at which the behaviour dies]
operant conditioning
Continuous reinforcement
The desired behaviour is reinforced every time it occurs
this schedule is best used during the initial stages of learning in order to create a strong Association between the behaviour and the response
Once the responses firmly established reinforcement is usually switched to a partial reinforcement schedule
Response rate is steady
Extinction rate is fast
operant conditioning
Partial reinforcement
The response only reinforce past the time
learned behaviors are acquired more slowly but the response is more resistant to extinction
there are four of these
Fixed interval schedules
fixed ratio schedules
variable interval schedules
and variable ratio schedules
operant conditioning
Partial reinforcement
Fixed interval schedules
The first Response is rewarded (behaviour) but only after a fixed amount of time has passed
Response rate is slower after the delivery of the reinforcer(reward)
Extinction rate is a relatively fast (high rate)
EG when you’re paid monthly for your work
operant conditioning
Partial reinforcement
Variable interval schedules
The response is rewarded after an unpredictable/ random amount of time has passed
Response rate is slow and steady
the Extinction rate is very resistant (low rate)
EG randomly checking people’s homework folder at random points in the year
due to this unpredictability the behaviour is maintained
operant conditioning
Partial reinforcement
Fixed ratio schedules
Response is reinforced only after a specified number of responses
Response rate is at a high steady rate
the Extinction rate is relatively fast (high rate)
EG loyalty cards need so many before you get the free product
operant conditioning
Partial reinforcement
Variable ratio schedules
A responses reinforce after an unpredictable number of responses
Response rate is very high and steady
Extinction rate is most resistant of all of the schedules (low rate)
EG gambling as with you continue to gamble you will eventually receive the reward but it’s unpredictable on how many games you’ll need to play and win to get that jackpot
operant conditioning
Behaviour modification
Shaping
shaping is used to teach complex behaviors as it is broken down into a series of simple behaviors
Visa talk one by one using reinforcement and Punishment to gradually create the desired complex behavior
EG training dogs
Instead of waiting for a subject to exhibit desired behaviour any behavior leading up to the target behaviour is rewarded
EG every time the dog gets to the traffic lights and it stays then that would be rewarded because it’s going towards the dog sitting and waiting for the traffic lights to change colour
operant conditioning
Evidence for skinners rat lever 1948 also pigeons key pressing
Skinner’s rat experiment supports operant conditioning as the rats learn that pulling the lever equaled getting a reward (food)
He also discovered that a reward is dependent on an individual for example giving a rich person in money won’t have the same effect as giving a poor person money
This both support and helps the theory develop therefore it’s very strong evidence to support it
operant conditioning
How good is the research bad skinners rats
Most of the experiments and studies done to support operate conditioning have been done using animals for example Skinners rounds this means they are unable to be generalized to human behavior as animal behavior and human behaviour may have key differences that means that they are not fully generalizable to each other therefore making this bad research for operant conditioning
Comparing operant conditioning to classical conditioning
Operant conditioning states that learning is voluntary and can be done via reinforcement which can be done in many different ways such as: positive and negative reinforcement and positive and negative punishment
whereas classical conditioning which states that learning is involuntary, follows a much more reductionist, linear way of showing how behaviour is learnt via association of an object or behaviour with somthing else usualy another object or behaviour.
Due to this opponent conditioning is the better explanation on how we learn due to having a more complex and applicable explanation then classical conditioning, which is mainly focused on the learning of Fear compared to operant conditioning which is much more open to other behaviours such as compliance
》《》《》《》《》《《《》《》
Due to operant conditioning claiming that learning is purely a voluntary process and not an involuntary one that’s classical conditioning claims it means the operand conditioning is unable to explain the formation of irrational phobias which is the primary use of classical conditioning (UCS +NS = UCR -> CS = CR)
Making classical conditioning a better explanation of the formation of irrational phobias with an operant conditioning
Conditioning conclusion and application
In conclusion upbring conditioning is a very good explanation for the development of behaviors as it is widely applicable to not only phobias to but to other learning such as compliance
Is highly applicable to the real world because it explains why we learn things for example why if a child gets 10 out of town the spelling test but they’re more likely to spell better again because they’ve been praised for getting 10 out of 10 on a spelling test
operant conditioning evaluation order
What is operant conditioning
evidence for skinner
bad research skinner
comapre classical (OC better)
Conclusion OC is good for development of behaviours
aplication explains why ppl learn things
e.g doing better on a spelling test after you got to turn and you got praise for it
Thorndike cat box fish
cat in box
fish outside
learn press lever button to open box
get fish
after repeating 10-12 times
cats learned that button frees them and do it quicker
