Operant Conditioning Flashcards
What is stimulus generalisation?
The tendency for similar stimuli to produce the same but not necessarily identical response.
What is discrimination?
The ability to perceive and respond to differences among stimuli. More advanced for of learning compared to generalisation.
What is extinction?
The gradual decrease in the strength or rate of response.
What is spontaneous recovery?
The reappearance of a conditioned response following a rest period and after its apparent extinction.
What is operant conditioning?
A type of learning for which the consequences of a behaviour (reward or punishment) determine the likelihood that it will be performed again in the future.
What do reinforcers do?
Strengthen responses
What does reinforcement mean?
Adding a positive stimulus or removing a negative stimulus.
What does positive reinforcement do?
Adds positive stimuli.
E.g. dog receiving a treat
What does negative reinforcement do?
Takes away unpleasant stimuli.
E.g. avoiding getting wet by using an umbrella
What is punishment?
Adding an unpleasant stimuli or taking away a positive stimuli, of which decreases response.
What does positive punishment do?
Adding an unpleasant stimuli.
E.g. electric shock for a rat
What does negative punishment do?
Removal of the positive (desirable) stimulus.
E.g. taking food away from a hungry cat
Name 3 primary reinforcers
- food
- water
- sex
Name 3 secondary reinforcers
- money
- praise
- trophy
What are primary reinforcers?
- biological
- not learned
