1. Operant Conditioning
Module 27

2. Operant Conditioning
Operant conditioning - A type of learning in which behavior is strengthened if followed by a reinforcer or diminished if followed by a punisher.
B.F. Skinner’s Experiments:
Elaborated on Thorndike’s law of effect – behaviors followed by favorable consequences become more likely and behaviors followed by unfavorable consequences become less likely.
Operant Chamber (“Skinner Box”) – chamber containing a bar/key that an animal can manipulate to obtain a food or water reinforcer; attached devices record the animal’s rate of bar pressing or key pecking.
Reinforcement – any event that strengthens the behavior it follows
Shaping – reinforcers guide behavior toward closer and closer approximations of the desired behavior
Discriminative stimulus – stimulus that elicits a response after association with reinforcement

4. Operant conditioning Types of reinforcers:
Positive reinforcement – increasing behaviors by presenting positive stimuli.
Negative reinforcement – increasing behaviors by stopping or reducing negative stimuli
Primary reinforcer – an innately reinforcing stimulus, such as one that satisfies a biological need
Conditioned reinforcer – a stimulus that gains its reinforcing power through its association with a primary reinforcer (secondary reinforcer)
Immediate and delayed reinforcers
(Big Bang Theory)

5. Operant conditioning
Reinforcement schedule – a pattern that defines how often a desired response will be reinforced
Continuous reinforcement – reinforcing the desired response every time it occurs
Partial (intermittent) reinforcement – reinforcing a behavior only part of the time
Slower acquisition
Greater resistance to extinction compared to continuous

6. Operant conditioning
Fixed-ratio – reinforces a response only after a specified number of responses
Variable-ratio – reinforces a response after an unpredictable number responses
Fixed-interval – reinforces a response only after a specified time has elapsed
Variable-interval – reinforces a response at unpredictable time intervals

7. Operant conditioning
Punishment – an event that tends to decrease the behavior it follows
Positive punishment – administering an aversive stimulus
Negative punishment – withdrawing a desirable stimulus
Physical punishment drawbacks:
Punished behavior is suppressed, not forgotten
Punishment teaches discrimination
Punishment can teach fear
Punishment may increase aggressiveness by modeling aggression as a way to cope with problems

8. Operant conditioning Physical punishment/yelling:
Okay if used as a backup when other tactics aren’t working
Punishment is effective if it is paired with reinforcement
Punishment tells us what not to do; reinforcement tells us what to do
Punishment can teach us to avoid
Parents/teachers should focus on reinforcing desired behavior and ignoring unwanted behavior
B.F. Skinner – criticized for neglecting people’s personal freedom but Skinner views reinforcement as a humane way to control behavior