1. UNIT 6: LEARNING OPERANT CONDITIONING Unit 6 AP Psychology

2. EDWIN THORNDIKE 1874-1949 History of Learning…. Conducted some of the first experiments on animal learning. Formulated the Law of Effect: His major contributions to educational psychology consisted of the methods he devised to test and measure children's intelligence and their ability to learn.

3. OPERANT CONDITIONING Defined as: Learning in which behavior is strengthened or lessened if followed by punishment. Associate actions with consequences EXAMPLE: YouTube

4. TERMS ASSOCIATED WITH OPERANT CONDITIONING SHAPING: aka “successive approximations” Defined as reinforcing a series of behaviors until the desired goal is reached! Gradually guiding. Builds off existing behaviors. You reward the responses that are ever-closer to the final desired behavior and ignore all others. -> Ex: Teachers reinforce all spellers for gradual gains, not only students getting 100%s EXAMPLES: training animals, rehab

5. DISCRIMINATION STIMULI Definition: When behavior is adjusted knowing that punishment or reinforcement varies with environment Examples:

6. REINFORCERS TYPES OF REINFORCERS FOR OPERANT CONDITIONING: that is any event that strengthens the behavior! 1.Primary: 2.Secondary: those that help us get primary… money, praise

7. BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION A.Contemporary application of conditioning techniques to alter human behavior 1. POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT- ex: pet a dog that comes to you when you call it 2. NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENT ( not punishment) aka aversive control of behavior! Known as negative reinforcement because something bad is taken away/removes something unpleasant: DO IT AGAIN NEXT TIME BECAUSE IT WORKS, NOT A REWARD!

8. SCHEDULES OF REINFORCEMENT: Continuous-> Partial-> Reinforce some of the time, slower for acquisition but less likely to see extinction # of responses = ratios/ time dependent = intervals 1. Fixed ratio EVERY SO MANY Definition: continuous reinforcement is a fixed ratio of 1; rarely happens in everyday life i.e. every fifth time you buy a cup of coffee you get one free 2.Variable Ratio AFTER AN UNPREDICTABLE NUMBER Definition: # of responses required to get a reinforcer differs i.e. slot machine, salesmen, fishing -> ___________________________________________________________________ 3.Fixed Interval EVERY SO OFTEN Definition: reinforce the first response after a fixed amount of time i.e. Medications every 4 hours pd. per hour, pd. every two weeks 4.Variable Interval UNPREDICTAVBLY OFTEN Definition: time varies as to when the reinforcers occurs; tend to produce slow, but steady response rates i.e. rainy days, sunny days RESPONSE RATES ARE HIGHER WHEN REINFORCEMENT IS LINKED TO THE NUMBER OF RESPONSES (RATIO SCHEDULE) RATHER THAN THE TIME (INTERVAL SCHEDULE). VARIABLE BETTER THAN FIXED.

9. NON-CONTINGENT REINFORCEMENT Definition: a ritual in behavior that people develop thinking it brings some kind of reinforcers Examples:

10. PUNISHMENT B.PUNISHMENT 1.Tells you what not to do. 2.Known as adversive consequence that ______________________________________________________ _ 3.Often teaches just how to avoid the consequences. i.e. Spending the night out if you drink after you are 21 4.To be effective, the punishment MUST be a. Consistent b. Intense enough but not too severe c. Proximity: d. Punishment means little if you are willing to take it because the reward now looks better (future consequence evaluation). Punished behavior is suppressed, not forgotten. Punishment teaches discrimination. Can teach fear.

11. UPDATING A.Some learning is latent… demonstrated only when needed and most occurs without reinforcement….. i.e. CPR B.OVERJUSTIFICATION EFFECT -> Will lose interest in the pure joy of doing the task…. i.e. Getting over rewarded for A’s