operant conditioning

Question 1

what is meant by ‘law of effect’?

Answer 1

of the several responses made to the same situation, those which are closely followed by satisfaction will be more firmly connected with the situation

Question 2

what are the differences between classical and operant conditioning?

Answer 2

classical = responses already occur naturally, only the stimuli can be manipulated to elicit these responses
operant = new behaviours are created in response to a consequence

Question 3

define ‘positive reinforcement’

Answer 3

when something pleasant is given in response to a desired behaviour

Question 4

define ‘negative reinforcement’

Answer 4

when something unpleasant is taken away in response to a desired behaviour

Question 5

what is primary positive reinforcement?

Answer 5

reinforcement that satisfies a basic need such as getting food

Question 6

what is secondary positive reinforcement?

Answer 6

reinforcement that enables you to access primary reinforcers such as money for food

Question 7

define ‘punishment’

Answer 7

causing some kind of physical or mental distress by giving a negative consequence and so decreasing the probability of the undesirable behaviour being repeated

Question 8

define ‘positive punishment’

Answer 8

giving something unpleasant in response to an undesired behaviour

Question 9

define ‘negative punishment’

Answer 9

taking away something pleasant in response to an undesired behaviour

Question 10

what is meant by ‘shaping’?

Answer 10

changing reinforcement in order to produce a very specific behaviour

Question 11

what are the stages of shaping?

Answer 11

1. rewarding behaviour in the direction of the desired behaviour
2. rewarding similar behaviour
3. only rewarding the desired specific behaviour

Question 12

define ‘chaining’

Answer 12

the concept of putting together multiple behaviours that form one “larger” behaviour

Question 13

what are ‘uncontrollable reinforcers’?

Answer 13

when the behaviour
has no real effect on the apparent ‘reward’ but the reward follows the behaviour so that they appear to be linked
- e.g. a pigeon being taught to walk in a circle in order to receive a reward

Question 14

what are schedules of reinforcement?

Answer 14

amount of time or frequency between showing the desired behaviour and being reinforced for it

Question 15

describe continuous reinforcement

Answer 15

when the desired effect is reinforced every time it occurs

Question 16

describe fixed ratio reinforcement

Answer 16

when reinforcement occurs at regular intervals, e.g. every time you reach 5 points on a coffee card you get the 6th coffee free

Question 17

describe variable ratio reinforcement

Answer 17

when the number of necessary correct responses is constantly altered, e.g. you do not know how often a gambling machine gives a reward

Question 18

describe fixed interval reinforcement

Answer 18

reinforcement made once every fixed amount of time e.g. being paid on the same day every month regardless of work hours

Question 19

what does contiguent mean?

Answer 19

when the consequence follows soon after the behaviour- if there’s too long a delay, the conditioning is weakened

Question 20

what is a strength of operant conditioning (PEE)?
- supporting study thorndike

Answer 20

a strength of operant conditioning is the supporting evidence from Thorndike’s study. for example, the cat in the cage was positively reinforced with salmon when it lifted the latch on the cage but negatively reinforced by an electric shock when it wasn’t lifting the latch. therefore, this shows how a behaviour can be learned as the individual acts to receive the reward and avoid the unpleasant consequences.

Question 21

what is a strength of operant conditioning (PEE)?
- supporting evidence Deutsch

Answer 21

a strength of operant conditioning is the supporting evidence from Deutsch. they found that worker morale increased when their productivity created rewards. therefore, this shows that in a real life setting, positive reinforcement can increase productivity and means more work can get done.

Question 22

what is a weakness of operant conditioning (PEECA)?
- criticism animal research

Answer 22

a weakness of operant conditioning is that much of the research is carried out on animals. animals have different brain structures such as the cerebral cortex which has a role in problem solving/memory. therefore, the findings cannot represent the way that humans would respond. however, the research methods are objective and involve standardised procedures which makes them reliable and easy to replicate.

Question 23

what is a weakness of operant conditioning (PEE)?
- opposing study Kohler

Answer 23

a weakness of operant conditioning is the opposing study from Kohler. they found that primates solve problems in a flash of insight rather than through trial and error or reliance on consequences. operant conditioning fails to consider the effect of cognitive learning so could be an incomplete explanation. however, this study was carried out on animals. therefore the results cannot be representative of human behaviour and therefore it lacks generalisability.

Question 24

what is a strength of operant conditioning (PEE)?
- application

Answer 24

a strength of operant conditioning is that there are practical applications. for example, token economy is used in schools/prisons and provides secondary reinforcers in return for primary reinforcers. additionally, it helps to explain how behaviours such as addiction can arise. therefore, the concepts can be used to formulate treatments or therapy which can improve quality of life.

Question 25

describe why a sticker chart may not be working for a child who is rewarded when they sit quietly and allowed to play football if they collect 5 stickers at the end of the week. (2 marks)

Answer 25

a reason that the sticker chart isn’t working is because it is not consistent enough. the child is only rewarded with football at the end of the week meaning they may become bored, especially if a sticker is not given every single time they are quiet, meaning it isn’t positively reinforced. in order to be motivating, token economy should be used every time the behaviour occurs.