operant conditioning

Question 1

how does operant conditioning work

Answer 1

learning is conducted through ‘trial and error’ method of learning that occurs through consequence

Question 2

what was thorndike’s puzzle box

Answer 2

cats have to learn to open latches in order to get a reward (food)

Question 3

what is the difference between classical conditioning and operant conditioning

Answer 3

in classical conditioning the response is involuntary and in operant conditioning the response is voluntary

Question 4

what does the ABC model stand for

Answer 4

antecedent
behaviour
consequence

Question 5

what does antecedent mean

Answer 5

the skinner box would represent a stimulus that triggers a behaviour

Question 6

what does behaviour mean

Answer 6

a response made by the animals that can be observed as an outcome of the antecedent

Question 7

what does consequence mean

Answer 7

the reward or punishment following the behaviour

Question 8

what is the aim of a punishment

Answer 8

to decrease a certain behaviour

Question 9

what is the aim of a reward

Answer 9

to increase a certain behaviour

Question 10

what was skinner’s box experiment

Answer 10

placed a rat or a pigeon in a box which was empty apart from a lever
if the rat pressed the lever then a food pellet would be released = positive reinforcement - so would press the lever more

Question 11

what is positive reinforcement

Answer 11

something that increases the likelihood of the behaviour being repeated by providing pleasant consequences

Question 12

what is negative reinforcement

Answer 12

something undesired is taken away in response to a desired behaviour

Question 13

what is positive punishment

Answer 13

adding an adverse stimuli that will reduce the presentation of a behaviour

Question 14

what is negative punishment

Answer 14

the removal of a liked/desirable stimuli to reduce the showing of a behaviour

Question 15

what is the token economy program

Answer 15

based of operant conditioning - behaviour is rewarded if repeated and stopped if not rewarded
form of behaviour modification because they aim to changed behaviour to a behaviour that is required or desired

Question 16

what is the primary reinforcer

Answer 16

anything which satisfies a biological need such as food or warmth

Question 17

what is the secondary reinforcer

Answer 17

only fulfilling because they are associated with primary reinforcer. money that can be used to buy food

Question 18

what are schedules of reinforcement

Answer 18

tactic that influences how an operant response is learned and maintained. each type imposes a rule to determine how and when a desired behaviour occurs

Question 19

what is continuous reinforcement

Answer 19

when each behaviour gets the consequence not strictly a schedule as it always happens

Question 20

what is partial reinforcement

Answer 20

more resistant to extinction than continuous reinforcement and schedules

Question 21

what is fixed interval reinforcement

Answer 21

regarding the time of the reward. fixed time. schedules results of behaviour as time for the reward increases

Question 22

what is variable interval reinforcement

Answer 22

variable time. varying the time it is received. behaviours are reasonably steady as it is not known when consequences will happen

Question 23

what is fixed ratio reinforcement

Answer 23

number of behaviours,, reward/punishment is at a set number

high number of responses up to the consequences being given but period of not many once the reward has been given

Question 24

what is variable ratio reinforcement

Answer 24

reward is given rather randomly regard to the number of behaviours. most efficient as not known when the consequence will arrive so behaviour is continuous

Question 25

what is behaviour shaping

Answer 25

when shaping , must first wait for any behaviour that is even vaguely related to the target behaviour to occur. the first behaviour must be immediately be reinforced.
once they’ve been conditioned to perform the action now only the behaviour that is closer to the target must be reinforced.
when this has been conditioned only behaviour even closer must be reinforced. the behaviours reinforced along the way are called SUCCESSIVE APPROXIMATIONS
to maintain the desired behaviour once it has been conditioned an intermittent reinforcement should be sufficient