Operant or Instrumental Conditioning Psychology 3306

Introduction Thorndike and his puzzle boxes Thorndike and his puzzle boxes Guthrie and Horton Guthrie and Horton Superstitious Behaviour Superstitious Behaviour Interim Interim Terminal Terminal Adjunctive Adjunctive Not exactly superstitious or random Not exactly superstitious or random

Shaping Successive approximations Successive approximations Get closer and closer to behaviour Get closer and closer to behaviour Secondary reinforcers Secondary reinforcers Feeder click for example Feeder click for example Behaviour modification Behaviour modification

Freddie! Coined the phrase ‘Operant conditioning’ Coined the phrase ‘Operant conditioning’ The animal operates on the environment The animal operates on the environment Unlike ‘respondent conditioning’ (Pavlovian) Unlike ‘respondent conditioning’ (Pavlovian) Pioneered the use of free operants Pioneered the use of free operants Pioneered the use of respone rate Pioneered the use of respone rate

The Skinner Box Basically this allowed the researcher to walk away Basically this allowed the researcher to walk away Allowed for a dependent variable that could be easily measured and compared across species too Allowed for a dependent variable that could be easily measured and compared across species too

Criticisms of the Skinner box Is it artificial? Is it artificial? Well duh… Well duh… But But Many species can be tested Many species can be tested Real world applications Real world applications Therapy Therapy Who cares? Who cares?

Key concepts and terms Discriminative stimulus Discriminative stimulus Three term contingency Three term contingency Acquisition Acquisition Extinction Extinction Spontaneous recovery Spontaneous recovery Generalization Generalization Conditioned reinforcement Conditioned reinforcement Response chains Response chains

Constraints Instinctive drift and the Brelands Instinctive drift and the Brelands Autoshaping (Brown and Jenkins, 1968) Autoshaping (Brown and Jenkins, 1968) Superstitious behaviour? Superstitious behaviour? Form of response depends on reinforcer (Jenkins and Moore, 1973) Form of response depends on reinforcer (Jenkins and Moore, 1973) Wasserman’s chicks (1973) Wasserman’s chicks (1973) Timberlake’s behaviour systems approach Timberlake’s behaviour systems approach

Schedules of Reinforcement You could give a reinforcement after each behaviour you are interested in You could give a reinforcement after each behaviour you are interested in This is called CRF or Continuous reinforcement This is called CRF or Continuous reinforcement However this is rarely used However this is rarely used Does not maintain behaviour very well Does not maintain behaviour very well

Schedules of Reinforcement Fixed Interval Fixed Interval First response after a given interval is rewarded First response after a given interval is rewarded FI Scallop FI Scallop Variable Interval Variable Interval Like FI but varies with a given average Like FI but varies with a given average Scallop disappears Scallop disappears

Schedules of Reinforcement Fixed Ratio Fixed Ratio Reinforcement is given after a given number of responses Reinforcement is given after a given number of responses A little less smooth A little less smooth Variable Ratio Variable Ratio After a varying number of responses After a varying number of responses

Schedules and their properties Variable schedules are more robust Variable schedules are more robust PREE, Partial reinforcement extinction effect PREE, Partial reinforcement extinction effect Harder to extinguish responding on VI, FI, VR and FR than on CRF Harder to extinguish responding on VI, FI, VR and FR than on CRF DRL, Differential reinforcement for low rates of responding DRL, Differential reinforcement for low rates of responding DRH, High rates DRH, High rates

Schedule this…. Concurrent and chained schedules Concurrent and chained schedules Behaviour follows the schedule in effect at the time Behaviour follows the schedule in effect at the time Allowed people to determine that the post reinforcement pause in FR schedules is due to the present schedule and not the previous one Allowed people to determine that the post reinforcement pause in FR schedules is due to the present schedule and not the previous one

Applications Work with autistic kids Work with autistic kids Prompts Prompts Fading Fading Secondary reinforcers Secondary reinforcers Token economies Token economies I/O applications I/O applications Behaviour therapy Behaviour therapy

These ideas are nothing new… Most folks are unaware of schedules and contingencies Most folks are unaware of schedules and contingencies Systematic application thereof Systematic application thereof Who cares? Who cares?

Punishment and avoidance Positivereinforcementpunishment NegativereinforcementOmission Behavior increases decreases Stimulus Presented Stimulus Removed or omitted

Avoidance Shuttle box Shuttle box Go from escape to avoidance Go from escape to avoidance Avoidance paradox Avoidance paradox Two factor theory Two factor theory Avoid by escaping CS Avoid by escaping CS Animals will avoid a CS that predicts shock in another context Animals will avoid a CS that predicts shock in another context

But…. Does the CS induce fear? Does the CS induce fear? Equivocal at best Equivocal at best Maybe avoidance itself is reinforcing Maybe avoidance itself is reinforcing This is the one factor theory This is the one factor theory The Sidman test shows that this is true, avoidance itself is reinforcing The Sidman test shows that this is true, avoidance itself is reinforcing But, temporal conditioning But, temporal conditioning

Cognitive theories Selligman and Johnston Selligman and Johnston Expectations Expectations Animal expects: Animal expects: No shock if it responds No shock if it responds Shock if it does not respond Shock if it does not respond This explains the slow extinction This explains the slow extinction Shock avoidance response blocking, remove the ability to escape, you get extinction Shock avoidance response blocking, remove the ability to escape, you get extinction

More on avoidance Bob Bolle’s idea about SSDRs Bob Bolle’s idea about SSDRs Learned helplessness Learned helplessness Is it depression? Is it depression? Suggestive, but not quite I don’t think Suggestive, but not quite I don’t think

Punishment Opposite of reinforcement? Opposite of reinforcement? Sorta Sorta But, to be effective it must be: But, to be effective it must be: Introduced at full intensity Introduced at full intensity Given immediately Given immediately After every behaviour After every behaviour Motivational effects Motivational effects Other contingencies and behaviours Other contingencies and behaviours

Bad boys bad boys, watcha gonna do? Maybe a punisher is an SD? Maybe a punisher is an SD? All that said punishment CAN control behaviour All that said punishment CAN control behaviour So, what’s the down side? So, what’s the down side?

punishment Fear and anger are bad for learning Fear and anger are bad for learning General suppression General suppression Constant monitoring needed Constant monitoring needed Avoidance Avoidance Reluctance to use it Reluctance to use it Bad consequences Bad consequences It is just plain mean It is just plain mean

Omission The avoidance of punishment The avoidance of punishment Easily learned Easily learned With all this stuff on punishment, remember morality and data are two different things With all this stuff on punishment, remember morality and data are two different things