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Operant Conditioning
• A type of learning in which behavior is
strengthened if followed by reinforcement or
diminished if followed by punishment.
Classical v. Operant
• They both use acquisition, discrimination, SR,
generalization and extinction.
•Classical Conditioning is automatic
(respondent behavior). Dogs automatically
salivate over meat, then bell- no thinking
involved.
•Operant Conditioning involves behavior
where one can influence their environment
with behaviors which have consequences
(operant behavior).
Edward Thorndike (1874-1949)
• Author of the law of effect
• Behaviors with favorable consequences
will occur more frequently.
• Behaviors with unfavorable consequences
will occur less frequently.
• Created puzzle boxes for research on cats
Thorndike’s Puzzle Box
THORANDIKE PUZZLE BOX
John B. Watson, father of Behaviorism
“Give me a dozen healthy infants, well-
formed, and my own specified world to
bring them up and I’ll guarantee to take
any one at random and train him to become
any type of specialist I might select--
doctor, lawyer, artist, merchant-chief, and,
yes, even beggerman thief, regardless of
his talents, penchants, tendencies, abilities,
vocations, and race of his ancestors” (Watson,
1925).
B. F. Skinner
Operant behavior: occurs without an observable
external stimulus
Operates on the organism’s environment
The behavior is instrumental in securing a stimulus
more representative of everyday learning
The Skinner Box
Shaping
• A procedure in Operant Conditioning in
which reinforcers guide behavior closer and
closer towards a goal.
For the second shaping demonstration, Skinner trained Agnes to press
the pedal and pop the top on the wastebasket. Again, the photographer's
flash served as the conditioned reinforcer, and each step in the process
was photographed. The results are shown below.
Reinforcer
• Any event that STRENGTHENS the
behavior it follows.
Two Types of Reinforcement:
Positive and Negative
Reinforcement/Punishment
• Reinforcement - Any consequence that
increases the likelihood of the behavior it
follows
– Reinforcement is ALWAYS GOOD!!!
• Punishment - Any consequence that decreases
the likelihood of the behavior it follows
• The subject determines if a consequence is
reinforcing or punishing
Positive/Negative Reinforcement
BOTH ARE GOOD THINGS!!!
Punishment:
Always BAD
Types of Punishment
• An undesirable event following a
behavior
• Behavior ends a desirable event or
state
• Its effect is opposite that of
reinforcement – it decreases the
frequency of behavior
Positive Punishment
(Punishment by Application)
• Something is added to the environment you
do NOT like.
• A verbal reprimand or something painful
like a spanking (See examples on pg. 211)
Negative Punishment
(Punishment by Removal)
• Something is taken away that you DO LIKE.
• Lose a privilege.
Types of Reinforcers
Primary Reinforcement
• Something that is naturally satisfying
• Examples: food, warmth, water, etc.
• The item is reinforcing in and of itself
• If on a deserted island, these are what you’d
want!
Conditioned/Secondary Reinforcement
• Something that a person has Learned
to value or finds rewarding because it
is paired or associated with a primary
reinforcer
• Money is a good example.
• So are grades and signs of respect &
approval.
SCHEDULES OF REINFORCEMENT
• Interval schedules: reinforcement occurs after a certain
amount of time has passed
• Fixed Interval = reinforcement is presented after a fixed
amount of time
• Variable Interval = reinforcement is delivered on a
random/variable time schedule
• Ratio schedules: reinforcement occurs after a certain
number of responses
• Fixed Ratio = reinforcement presented after a fixed # of
responses
• Variable Ratio = reinforcement delivery is variable but
based on an overall average # of responses
Continuous Reinforcement
• Reinforcing the desired response every time
it occurs.
Quick Acquisition
Quick Extinction
Partial Reinforcement
• Reinforcing a
response only part of
the time.
• The acquisition
process is slower.
• Greater resistance to
extinction.
Fixed-ratio Schedules
• A schedule that reinforces a response only
after a specified number of responses.
Example: I give cookie monster a cookie
every FIVE times he sings “C is for cookie”.
Variable-ratio Schedule
• A schedule of
reinforcement that
reinforces a response
after an
unpredictable
number of
responses.
Example: I give Homer a donut at random
times when he says “DOH!!!”
Fixed-interval Schedule
• A schedule of
reinforcement
that reinforces a
response only
after a specified
time has elapsed.
Example: I give Bart a Butterfinger every ten
minutes after he moons someone.
Variable-interval Schedule
• A schedule of
reinforcement that
reinforces a response
at unpredictable time
intervals.
Pop Quizzes
B. F. SKINNER
CONTRIBUTIONS OF SKINNER’S BEHAVIORISM
SHAPED AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGY FOR 30 YEARS
HIS GOAL: THE IMPROVEMENT OF SOCIETY
SRENGTH AND RAMIFICATIONS OF HIS RADICAL
B. F. Skinner
Criticisms of Skinner’s behaviorism
His extreme positivism
His opposition to theory
His willingness to extrapolate beyond the data
The narrow range of behavior studied
Problem of instinctive drift
His position on verbal behavior
INCENTIVE THEAORY OF MOTIVATION 33
