Classical Conditioning Review An individual receives frequent injections of drugs, which are administered in a small examination room at a clinic. The drug itself causes increased heart rate but after several trips to the clinic, simply being in a small room causes an increased heart rate. US: DrugUR: increased heart rate CS: small rooms CR: increased heart rate

Operant Conditioning The Learner is NOT passive. Learning based on consequence!!!

Classical vs. Operant Conditioning Classical ConditioningOperant Conditioning Behavior is determined by what PRECEDES it. Behavior is determined by anticipation of what FOLLOWS it. InvoluntaryVoluntary Dog salivates after a tone. Dog sits in anticipation of getting a treat. They both use acquisition, discrimination, Spontaneous Recovery, generalization and extinction.

Operant Conditioning A type of learning in which behavior is strengthened if followed by reinforcement or diminished if followed by punishment.

Edward L. Thorndike Animals placed in puzzle boxes String pulled, latch released, animal jumps out and receives food Learning by random trial and error Law of Effect – Thorndike’s principle that responses are “stamped in” by rewards and “stamped out” by punishments.

Law of Effect: rewarded behavior is likely to reoccur

B.F. Skinner

Operant Chamber Using Thorndike's law of effect as a starting point, Skinner developed the Operant chamber, or the Skinner box, to study operant conditioning. Walter Dawn/ Photo Researchers, Inc.

Skinner’s: Operant Conditioning Chamber

B.F. Skinner: Project Pigeon Pigeons would guide WWII missiles to targets However, pigeon equipment was bulky = plans were abandoned 

Giant Rats in Mozambique Dolphins in Vietnam to sniff out mines too! (higher survival rate than any Sea World or academic center!)

How do we actually use Operant Conditioning? Do we wait for the subject to deliver the desired behavior? Sometimes, we use a process called shaping. Shaping is reinforcing small steps on the way to the desired behavior. To train a dog to get your slippers, you would have to reinforce him in small steps. First, to find the slippers. Then to put them in his mouth. Then to bring them to you and so on…this is shaping behavior.

Reinforcer Any event that STRENGTHENS the behavior it follows. Two Types of Reinforcement: Positive and Negative

Positive Reinforcement Strengthens a response by adding a stimulus after a response.

Negative Reinforcement Removes something unpleasant that was already in the environment following a behavior, making that behavior more likely to occur again (think avoiding/escaping)

Positive or Negative? Putting your seatbelt on. Studying for a test. Having a headache and taking an aspirin. Faking sick to avoid psych class. Breaking out of jail. Getting a kiss for doing the dishes.

Punishment An event that DECREASES the behavior that it follows.

Punishment Meant to decrease a behavior. Positive Punishment Addition of something unpleasant. Negative Punishment Removal of something pleasant. Punishment works best when it is immediately done after behavior and if it is harsh!

Types of Reinforcers

Primary Reinforcer An innately reinforcing stimulus

Conditioned (Secondary) Reinforcer A stimulus that gains its reinforcing power through its association with a primary reinforcer.