1. Section 2: Operant Conditioning

2.   Operant Conditioning- learning in which a certain action is reinforced or punished, resulting in corresponding increases or decreases in occurrence  Different from classical conditioning because participant must first engage in a behavior in order to be affected by its consequences Operant Conditioning

3.   B.F. Skinner- psychologist most closely associated with operant conditioning  He believed that most behavior is influenced by a person’s history of rewards and punishments  Reinforcement- stimulus or event that follows a response and increases the likelihood that the response will be repeated  Examples of reinforcers-  Money  Extra priviledges  Social approval Reinforcement

4.   Positive Reinforcement- when something the participant wants is added after a behavior  Ex. Treat  Negative reinforcement- occurs when something unpleasant is taken away after a behavior  Ex. Don’t have to eat liver if you do the dishes  Primary reinforcer- satisfies a biological need such as hunger, thirst, or sleep  Secondary reinforcer- one that has been paired with a primary reinforcer and through classical conditioning has acquired value  Ex. money Reinforcement continued…

5.   Timing and frequency of reinforcement important  Continuous schedule- behavior that is reinforced every time  Partial schedule- positive reinforcement occurs intermittently  Actually more effective than continuous  Less chance of extinction Schedules of Reinforcement

6.   Shaping- technique in which the desired behavior is “molded” by first rewarding any act similar to that behavior and then requiring ever-closer behaviors to get reward Shaping and Chaining

7.   Response chain- learned reactions that follow one another in sequence, each reaction producing the signal for the next  Ex. Swimming (arm stroke, leg kick, breathing)  Often necessary to learn simple responses before mastering complex patterns  Playing guitar Combining Responses: Chaining

8.   Aversion Control- process of influencing behavior by means of unpleasant stimuli  2 ways unpleasant events affect behavior  Negative reinforcement- a painful or unpleasant stimulus is removed  Tries to increase or repeat a behavior  Ex. No homework for good behavior in class  Punishment  Behavior decreases or is NOT repeated Aversion Control

9.   Aversion stimuli (punishment)  Can produce unwanted side effects such as rage, aggression, and fear  People learn to avoid the person delivering the aversive consequences  Punishment alone does not teach acceptable behavior  Child also needs positive coaching and modeling Disadvantages of Punishment