Operant Conditioning: Schedules and Theories Of Reinforcement

Now that we have discussed reinforcement.... It is time to discuss just HOW reinforcements can and should be delivered In other words, there are other things to consider than just WHAT the reinforcer should be!

Think about this! If you were going to reinforce your puppy for going to the bathroom outside, how would you do it? –Would you give him a treat every time? Some of the time? –Would you keep doing it the same way or would you change your method as you go along?

What is a schedule of reinforcement? A schedule of reinforcement is the response requirement that must be met in order to obtain reinforcement. –In other words, it is what you have to do to get the goodies!

Continuous vs. Intermittent Reinforcement Continuous –A continuous reinforcement schedule (CRF) is one in which each specified response is reinforced Intermittent –An intermittent reinforcement schedule is one in which only some responses are reinforced

Theories of Reinforcement In the effort to answer the question, “What makes reinforcers work?”, theorists have developed some..... THEORIES!!!!!

So here’s the first one: Example - If you are hungry and go looking for food and eat some, you will feel more comfortable because the hunger has been reduced. The desire to have the uncomfortable “hunger drive” reduced motivates you to seek out and eat the food

Drive Reduction Theory So this is one thing that can make reinforcers work: –An event is reinforcing to the extent that it is associated with a reduction in some type of physiological drive (hunger, sex, sleep…) –This type of approach may explain some behaviors (like sex) but not others (like playing video games)

Incentive Motivation Sometimes, we just do things because they are FUN! When this happens, we can say that motivation is coming from some property of the reinforcer itself rather than from some kind of internal drive –Examples include playing games and sports, putting spices on food, etc.

We can also think about how we use reinforcers. We can use a behavior we love (high probability behavior) to reinforce a behavior we don’t like to do very much (low probability behavior). –This is sometimes called “Grandma’s Principle” –Bobby, you can read those comic books once you have mowed the grass!