Operant Conditioning

Agenda 1. Review Classical Conditioning (10) 2. Skinner and Operant Conditioning (25) Puzzle Box Clip Embedded 3. BF Skinner Clip Operant Conditioning (10) 4. Pigeon’s and Missile Guidance (5) 5. Hotter/Colder experiment (15)

Operant Conditioning A type of learning in which behavior is strengthened if followed by a reinforcer or diminished if followed by a punisher.

John Watson Father of Behaviorism

E. L. Thorndike First psychologist to formulate a theory of operant conditioning Called it instrumental conditioning because the response is instrumental in bringing about the reward

Thorndike’s Law of Effect Rewarded behavior is likely to occur again.

Thorndike’s Puzzle Box – used with cats

Puzzle Box Clip e- 8&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode= 1&safe=active e- 8&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode= 1&safe=active

B. F. Skinner Chief Advocate for Operant Conditioning

Operant Chamber or Skinner Box Used to study operant conditioning; is an elaboration of the puzzle box Comes with a bar or key that an animal manipulates to obtain a reinforcer like food or water. The bar or key is connected to devices that record the animal’s response.

Operant Chamber or Skinner Box

Classical verses Operant Conditioning Classical conditioning forms associations between stimuli. Classical conditioning involves respondent behavior that occurs as an automatic response to a certain stimulus. Operant conditioning forms an association between behaviors and the resulting events. Operant conditioning involves operant behavior, a behavior that operates on the environment, producing rewarding or punishing stimuli

Operant Conditioning with dogs 4&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode= 1&safe=active 4&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode= 1&safe=active Stop at 3:39

Reinforcement Increases a response Positive reinforcement – add a desirable stimulus example: a hug Negative reinforcement –remove an aversive stimulus; this is not a punishment Example: fasten seatbelt to stop beeping

Positive reinforcement - Big Bang D4&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode =1&safe=active D4&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode =1&safe=active

Reinforcement Primary reinforcers – innately satisfying Secondary (conditioned) reinforcers – gains power through its association w/the primary reinforcer –learned reinforcer

Premack Principle David Premack states that a reinforcement should mean something to the individual.

Immediate and Delayed Reinforcers Immediate reinforcer – a reinforcer that occurs instantly after a behavior Delayed reinforcer – a reinforcer that is delayed in time for a certain behavior. We may be inclined to engage in small immediate reinforcers (TV time) rather than large delayed reinforcers (getting an A in a course) which require consistent study.

Schedules of Reinforcement Continuous- a particular response is reinforced every time it occurs

Schedules of Reinforcement Partial (intermittent) – reinforcing only some responses, results in slower acquisition but greater resistance to extinction

Schedules of Reinforcement Fixed-ratio (FR) – reinforcement after a fixed number of responses, high rates of responding

Schedules of Reinforcement Variable-ratio (VR) – reinforcement after average/unpredictable number of responses, very high steady rates of responding

Schedules of Reinforcement Fixed-interval (FI) – reinforcement after fixed amount of time has lapsed (prepare for test night before) Variable-interval (VI) – reinforcement after an unpredictable amount of time, low steady rate of response(pop quiz)

Punishment Process by which a stimulus follows a response and reduces the frequency of the response Opposite of reinforcement

Punishment Positive punishment – administer an aversive/ undesired stimulus Example: spanking Negative punishment – withdrawal a desired stimulus Example: time out from TV

Research on Punishment Although there may be some justification for occasional punishment (Larzelaere & Baumrind, 2002), it usually leads to negative effects.

Research on Punishment Results in unwanted fears. Conveys no information to the organism. Justifies pain to others. Causes unwanted behaviors to reappear in its absence. Causes aggression towards the agent. Causes one unwanted behavior to appear in place of another.

Shaping Occurs when successive approximations of a behavior are rewarded so that the organism eventually produces the desired behavior

Chaining Describes the fact that many responses will be learned in a sequence for only one reward

Vicarious Reinforcement/ Punishment Observed/experienced by someone else

Learned Helplessness May result from a situation where there is no contingency between behaviors and consequences Experience has taught them that they have no control over what will happen to them Theoretical explanation for failure in school or work

Cognition and Operant Conditioning Evidence of cognitive processes during operant learning comes from rats during a maze exploration in which they navigate the maze without an obvious reward. Rats seem to develop cognitive maps.

Cognitive Map A mental representation of the layout of one’s environment. Cognitive maps are based on latent learning: which becomes apparent only when an incentive is given.

Latent Learning Latent Learning occurs but is not apparent until there is an incentive to demonstrate it. EXAMPLE: Learning CPR but now knowing it until you have to administer it.

Types of Motivation Intrinsic motivation: desire to perform behavior for its own sake and to be effective

Overjustification Effect The effect of promising a reward for doing what one already likes to do. Undermines intrinsic motivation

Types of Motivation Extrinsic motivation : desire to perform a behavior due to promised rewards or threats of punishment

Biological Predisposition Biological constraints predispose organisms to learn associations that are naturally adaptive. Breland (1961) showed that animals drift towards their biologically predisposed instinctive behaviors.

Skinner’s Legacy Skinner argued that behaviors were shaped by external influences instead of inner thoughts and feelings. Critics argued that Skinner dehumanized people by neglecting their free will.

Applications of Operant Conditioning Skinner introduced the idea of teaching machines that shape learning in small steps and provide reinforcements for correct rewards. Reinforcers affect productivity. Many companies now allow employees to share profits and participate in company ownership. In children, reinforcing good behaviors increases the occurrence of these behaviors. Ignoring unwanted behavior decreases their occurrence.

Operant Experiment Using certain words, we will attempt to have a student complete an action that would result in a reward. What shall they do? Reward?