Operant Conditioning Mr. Koch AP Psychology Forest Lake High School

Operant Conditioning Type of learning in which behavior is strengthened if followed by reinforcement or diminished if followed by punishment – (aka - Instrumental Conditioning) Antecedent → Behavior → Consequence (stimulus) (response) – Law of Effect (Thorndike) Principle that behaviors followed by: – Favorable consequences → more likely – Unfavorable consequences → less likely

B.F. Skinner ( )

Skinner Box (aka Operant Chamber) Controlled environment with a bar or key for animal to manipulate to obtain food/water reinforcer Contains devices to record responses

Operant Conditioning Reinforcement – Any event that strengthens the behavior it follows Positive Reinforcement – Increases frequency of behavior by adding a pleasant stimulus Ex: Money, praise, prizes, attention Negative Reinforcement – Increases frequency of behavior by removing an unpleasant (aversive) stimulus Ex: Aspirin, giving in to tantrum, faking sick, drugs to avoid withdrawal

Operant Conditioning Primary Reinforcer – Innately reinforcing stimulus (satisfies a biological need) Ex: food, water, relief from pain, etc. Secondary Reinforcer (aka - Conditioned Reinforcer) – Gains its reinforcing power through its association with a primary reinforcer Ex: money, grades, etc.

Operant Conditioning Shaping – Reinforcing a series of behaviors which progressively become more specific and similar to desired response (guide toward closer approximations of desired goal) Note: – What is reinforcing to one may not be to another Depends upon perspective of learner – Ex: suspension; forced to stay after school

Schedules of Reinforcement Continuous Reinforcement – Reinforcing desired response every time it occurs + acquire quickly - extinct quickly Partial (intermittent) Reinforcement – Reinforcing part of the time - acquire slower + extinct slower

Schedules of Reinforcement (Partial Reinforcement) Fixed-Ratio schedule – Reinforced after certain number of responses – Ex: piecework, bonus paid for selling certain # items Variable-Ratio schedule – Reinforcement after an unpredictable number of responses Very hard to extinguish – Ex: gambling, fishing, hitchhiking

Schedules of Reinforcement (Partial Reinforcement) Fixed-Interval schedule – Reinforce a response after a set period of time has elapsed Ex: payday, mail delivery, school schedule Variable-Interval schedule – Reinforce a response at unpredictable time intervals Ex: pop quiz, random drug tests, waiting for taxi

Punishment An event that decreases the strength of a behavior it follows Aversive Conditioning – using punishment to teach Positive Punishment (“Type I” Punishment) – Adding an unpleasant (aversive) stimulus to decrease behavior Ex: spanking, electric shock Negative Punishment (“Type II” Punishment) – Removing a pleasant/desirable stimulus to decrease behavior Ex: time out, grounding

Punishment Problems with punishment: – Tells us what not to do, not what to do – May teach avoidance, fear, or aggression – If punishment is unpredictable, unavoidable – get sense it is beyond our control May lead to depression, helplessness – Better to emphasize reinforcement

Operant Conditioning Avoidance Conditioning – Undesirable behavior not yet present subject taught to avoid stimulus Counter-conditioning – Undesirable behaviors already learned Seek a new response – unlearn old behavior