1. BF Skinner  Most notable psychologist of 20th century  Research dealing with learning and operant conditioning has permeated every field of human behavior -- education, medicine, business

2. Operant Conditioning  B.F. Skinner (1904-1990)  developed behavioral technology

3. Operant Conditioning  B.F. Skinner  Walden II -- he describes a utopia-like commune run on his operant principles.

4. Operant Conditioning  B.F. Skinner  Beyond Freedom & Dignity -

5. Operant Condition  Learning by consequences

6. Operant Condition  Organism “operates” on the environment

7. Operant Condition  Reinforcements --- Any consequence that makes the behavior it follows more likely to occur

8. Operant Condition  Reinforcement ---- Behavior that is rewarded, is repeated

9. Operant Condition  The frequency of the behavior before reinforcement is the “operant level”

10. Operant Conditioning: Skinner Box

11. Operant Condition  “Shape” behavior through “successive approximations”

12. Operant Chamber  Skinner Box  chamber with a bar or key that an animal manipulates to obtain a food or water reinforcer  contains devices to record responses

14. Basic Rules of Shaping Behavior  Choose appropriate reinforcer  Reinforcement should come immediately after the behavior  Unpredictable schedule of reinforcement is more effective  Avoid Punishment -- (it may stop unwanted behaviors but returns along with other unwanted behaviors)

15. Reinforcement  Positive Reinforcer - a response followed by a consequence in the environment results in a strengthening of the response.  Negative Reinforcer - Response is strengthened by the avoidance or removal of an aversive stimulus.

17. Principles of Reinforcement  Fixed-ratio - reinforce behavior after a set number of responses. Example: people paid on a piecework basis; garment workers  Variable-ratio - reinforcers after an unpredictable number of responses. Gambers/anglers experience. Salesperson job or on commission

18. Principles of Reinforcement  Fixed-interval - reinforce the first response after a fixed time period. Weekly Paycheck  Variable-interval: reinforce the first response after varying time intervals. Pop quiz.

19. Learning By Observation  Learning need not be through direct observation, but imitating and observing others  Process of observing & imitating a specific behavior is called modeling

20. Learning By Observation  Albert Bandura

21. Learning By Observation  Bandura Experiment.  While child plays in room, adult in other part of room begins lashing out at a Bobo doll. After observing the outburst, child is taken into room with appealing toys. Experimenter enters room and takes toys away (for good children). Many children then become aggressive

22. Observational Learning  Observational Learning  learning by observing others  Modeling  process of observing and imitating a specific behavior