Operant Conditioning Flashcards
(12 cards)
Provide a definition for operant conditioning
Shaping behaviour through rewards and punishments for their actions.
Briefly describe a Skinner box
A box with a rat in it, with a lever that would produce food.
What is reinforcement?
Strengthening a behaviour that is the desired outcome.
Positive reinforcement involves adding a satisfying reward.
Negative reinforcement involves removing an unpleasant stimulus.
What is continuous reinforcement?
When the behaviour is reinforced every time it occurs.
What is partial reinforcement?
When the behaviour is only sometimes reinforced when it occurs.
What is ratio reinforcement?
When the behaviour is reinforced after it occurs a certain number of times. This can be on a fixed or variable schedule.
What is interval reinforcement?
When the behaviour is reinforced after a certain amount of time that it has occurred for. This can be for a fixed or variable schedule.
What is punishment
Weakening a behaviour that is not the desired outcome.
Positive punishment- adding an unpleasant stimulus.
Negative punishment- removing a pleasant stimulus
What are “the threes Cs” that make punishment effective?
Contingency- the relationship between the behaviour and punishment must be clear
Contiguity- the punishment must immediately follow the behaviour
Consistency- the punishment must happen every time the behaviour occurs
What are the drawbacks of punishment?
Does not teach the correct behaviour
Produces negative feelings in the learner, making them less willing to learn
May teach the learner that it is ok to punish others (social learning)
What is behaviour shaping?
Reward behaviour that is similar to desired behaviour, then stop rewarding, and then reward again when slightly closer behaviour is displayed.
Example- Skinner teaching pigeons to play ping pong.
What is an antecedent?
An antecedent is a cue that informs the learner of the presence of a reinforcer.
