1. Unit 4: Memory & Learning
4.6 Operant Conditioning Part 1
Reinforcement

2. Important People of Operant Conditioning
Edward Thorndike
Law of effect: rewarded behavior is likely to recur
B.F. Skinner
Extended Thorndike’s theory
developed operant conditioning: learning behavior as a result of effects & consequences

3. Comparing Classical & Operant
learned responses are voluntary & controllable
Pairing happens after the behavior
Happens more regularly, often without knowing it
learned responses are involuntary
Pairing happens before the response
Less often to happen in every day life
* Some laws of conditioning apply to both: generalization, discrimination, spontaneous recovery, & extinction

4. Reinforcement
Something that strengthens the behavior or makes it more likely to recur
Operant Chamber or Skinner Box contains a bar that an animal can push to obtain a food reinforcer – leading to the animal pushing the bar more

5. Reinforcer:
- Food
Shaping:
- Given food every time it made small progressions
Shaping: procedure where reinforcers gradually guides actions toward a desired behavior

6. Positive Reinforcement vs.
Negative Reinforcement
a stimulus that increases the frequency of a behavior when it is presented.
something is added to make it more likely a behavior will happen again
Example:
If a toddler is given a cookie when they start to walk on their own, it’s likely they’ll begin to walk more often.
A cookie is added every time the toddler walks
an unpleasant stimulus that increases the frequency of a behavior when it is removed or avoided
something is taken away (or avoided) to make it more likely a behavior will happen again
Example:
- If taking aspiring is followed by the removal of headache pain, taking aspirin is likely to recur when similar pain appears again
Remember: Reinforcement always strengthens a response – makes behavior more likely to recur

7. - positive & negative reinforcement can work together to increase a behavior
Studying
Positive Reinforcement
Good Grades
Result:
Increases
Negative
Reinforcement:
Poor Grades