Operant Conditioning (Skinner) Flashcards
(25 cards)
Who suggested operant conditioning?
Skinner
What does operant conditioning suggest?
That behaviour is learnt through consequence; positive/ negative reinforcement encouraging behaviour or positive/negative punishment discouraging behaviour.
What is the Law of Effect principle suggested by Edward Thorndike?
“Responses that produce a satisfying effect in a particular situation become more likely to occur again in that situation, and responses that produce a discomforting effect become less likely to occur again in that situation.”
What was the experiment Thorndike produced to support his law of effect principle?
A classic experiment in which he placed a kitten in a puzzle box- it had to solve a puzzle in order to escape the box to receive a food reward.
Thorndike found that when cats were placed in a box with a plate of food just outside, they learnt to press a lever which opened the door to allow access to the food (positive reinforcement).
What do behaviourists believe about behaviours?
All behaviours are a result of experiences in life rather than unconscious actions or genetics. We are born a blank sheet and experiences make us who we are. Skinner was a firm believer of the idea that human free will was actually an illusion and any human action was the result of the consequences of that same action.
What is the ABC model?
Proposes that behaviour is based on:
Antecedent (stimulus) which causes.. Behaviour which has.. Consequences
What are the 4 main consequences that follow a behaviour to make it either less likely or more likely to be repeated?
Positive reinforcement
Negative reinforcement
Positive punishment
Negative punishment
What is positive reinforcement?
Adding something desirable to encourage repitition of a behaviour
What is negative reinforcement?
Taking away something undesirable to encourage repetition of a behaviour
What is positive punishment?
Adding something undesirable to discourage repetition of a behaviour.
What is negative punishment?
Taking away something desirable to discourage repetition of a behaviour.
What is behaviour modification/ behaviour shaping?
Is applying OC principles to produce a desired behaviour that hasn’t yet been seen. First, you reward any behaviour that is in the general direction. Then, you only reward behaviours that are more similar to the desired behaviour, becoming more specific with time. Eventually, you only reward the exact desired behaviour. You will have “shaped” the behaviour of the individual.
What are the 2 properties of reinforcement?
Primary reinforcement
Secondary reinforcement
What is primary reinforcement?
The reward is something we want naturally; a basic need.
Eg warmth or food
What is secondary reinforcement?
The reward is something we have have learnt to have value.
Eg money or tokens
What are schedules of reinforcement?
What are the 4 types?
Reinforcement is continuous and a reward is seen after every repetition of the behaviour.
Fixed interval
Variable interval
Fixed Ratio
Variable ratio
What is a fixed interval?
The reward is seen at regular intervals.
Eg every 5 minutes
What is a variable interval?
The reward is seen at unpredictable intervals.
Eg sometimes after 1 minute, sometimes after 10 minutes.
What is a fixed ratio?
The reward is seen at regular times in relation to this behaviour.
Eg after 10 repetitions
What is a variable ratio?
The reward seems to be random in relation to the behaviour.
Eg sometimes after 1 repetition, sometimes after 10 repetitions.
What is the token economy programme?
- TEPs are a treatment based on Operant Conditioning. They involve rewarding and punishing people by awarding or deducting tokens.
- The tokens may be vouchers or plastic chips. Tokens are only a secondary reinforcer; when there are enough of them, they can be “cashed in” for a primary reinforcer, like gifts, luxeries or privileges.
- TEPs are often used in schools “House Points” but are also successful in prions and workplaces. They are used in a clinical setting to help people overcome addictions or resist antisocial behaviour.
Describe B.F. Skinner’s (1948) experiments to support operant conditioning.
Skinner placed animals into “Skinner Boxes” which had a lever and a food dispenser. If the rat pressed the lever, a good pellet was released. This is positive reinforcement. At first, the rat would press the lever accidentally, but after repeated reinforcement food the rag would eventually learn to press the level to receive food- this was quick and better than negative reinforcement.
In other variations, Skinner electrified the floor of the Skinner box and the lever would turn off the electric current for 30 seconds. This is negative reinforcement. The rats did learn to press the lever, but not as quickly as when they were positively reinforced.
What is avoidance learning?
Where a rat learns that when a bell sounds, if it pressed a lever it will avoid an electric shock. The rat quickly learns not to wait for the shock but as soon as it hears the bell it pressed the lever- it learns to avoid the electric shock. This can be compared to phobias in humans as you simply leave a room if you are encountered with a fear like spiders. This means you never learn that the spider cannot harm you, there are in fact no bad consequences of having a spider near you, you simply avoid spiders at all costs.
What are the strengths of operant conditioning?
- Credible, valid- Skinner found that rats in “Skinner Boxes” would learn to press a lever if positively reinforced by the release of food pellets or negatively reinforced by the removal of an electrified floor. He used standardised procedures such as designing all Skinner’s boxes the same and only issuing a pellet of food if the rat pressed the lever.
- Credible, reliable, valid- Thorndike found that when cats were placed in a box with its a plate of food just outside, they learnt to press a lever which opened the door to allow them access to the food (positive reinforcement). Such as animal studies as they’re highly reliable and have high internal validity as they use standardised procedures including giving all cats the same puzzle and the same food reward.
- Applicable- Mestel and Concar (1994)- TEP was very successful in treating cocaine addicts why giving them shopping vouchers to keep clean. This shows how OC can be applied to human behaviour in everyday life through token economy programmes. TEP can also be used in institutions like prisons, schools or hospitals and often used with ABA therapy with autistic children.
