1. Chapter 8 pt. 2: Operant Conditioning and Observational Learning
B.F. SKINNER

2. Type of Learning 2: Operant Conditioning
Operant Conditioning: type of learning in which behavior is strengthened by reinforcement or weakened by punishment….related to consequences.
Operant Conditioning builds on Thorndike’s principle of Law of Effect: rewarded behavior is likely to recur .

3. Operant vs. Classical Conditioning
Respondent Behavior: behavior that occurs as an automatic response to some stimulus. Occurs in classical conditioning.
Ex: salivating to meat.
Operant Behavior: behavior that operates on the environment, producing consequences.
Ex: Stealing and getting arrested may discourage the crime.

4. King of Operant Conditioning
B.F. Skinner: developed most operant conditioning techniques.
Skinner Box (Operant Chamber): major tool used in operant conditioning research. Chamber containing a bar or key that an animal can manipulate to obtain reinforcement.

5. Skinner Box

6. How would you have trained this cat to become potty trained?
Shaping
How would you have trained this cat to become potty trained?
Shaping refers to an operant conditioning technique in which reinforcers guide behavior closer and closer towards a desired goal.
Uses successive approximations.

7. Terms Reinforcement - Increases a behavior
Punishment- Decreases a behavior
Negative- takes away a stimuli
Positive- Adds a stimuli
Need to isolate the behavior first

8. Reinforcement Getting an A
All Reinforcement INCREASE THE LIKELYHOOD that a particular behavior will occur.
Positive Reinforcement: encourages a certain behavior by offering a positive stimulus (reward).
Getting an A

9. Negative Reinforcement IS NOT Punishment
Negative Reinforcement also ENCOURAGES a particular behavior by removing an aversive (negative) stimulus.
Advil
Punishment: DISCOURAGES a particular behavior by usually adding an aversive stimulus.

10. Punishment Punishment decreases a behavior
Positive Punishment- adds stimuli to decrease the behavior
Spanking
Ticket
Negative Punishment- taking away stimuli to decrease the behavior
Timeout

11. More effective forms of operant conditioning The Power of Rephrasing
Positive punishment: “You’re playing video games instead of practicing the piano, so I am justified in YELLING at you.”
Negative punishment: “You’re avoiding practicing, so I’m turning off your game.”
Negative reinforcement: “I will stop staring at you and bugging you as soon as I see that you are practicing.”
Positive reinforcement: “After you practice, we’ll play a game!”
Click to reveal bullets.

12. Criticisms of Punishment?
Good if it comes with reasoning
Increases aggression
Creates fear
Creates a feeling of helplessness
Does not guide or model correct behavior
Main Point- swift and sure punishment decreases behavior

13. Effective Punishment – Do Not Write
Should be swift and brief – don’t wait too long after the undesired behavior to punish
CONSISTENT – punish EVERY time undesired behavior occurs; when it fails to occur the effect can be rewarding
Target the behavior, not the person
Don’t send mixed messages – ex: spanking a child for hitting his/her sibling
Negative punishment (taking away privileges) works better than positive punishment (adding pain)

14. ALTERNATIVES TO PUNISHMENT Do not Write
Extinction – a behavior will usually diminish if the reward goes away
Temper tantrums
Premack principle – a more preferred activity can be used to reinforce a less preferred activity
Prompting & Shaping Behavior

15. Examples – Positive Punishment , Positive Ren. , Neg. Rein, Neg
Examples – Positive Punishment , Positive Ren., Neg. Rein, Neg. Punishment.
Touching a burning hot stove
When your parents take away a misbehaving teen’s car keys
The police officer gives you a speeding ticket
Your mom gives you allowance for cleaning your room
Your teacher says if you behave in class you won’t have any homework

16.
Big Bang Theory & Operant Conditioning

17. Types of Reinforcers
Primary Reinforcer: an innately reinforcing stimulus, such as one that satisfies a biological need.
Ex: Food, sex.
Conditioned Reinforcer (Secondary Reinforcer): reinforcer that you have to learn usually through its association with a primary reinforcer.
Ex: Money, Applause, lever in skinner box.

18. Types of Reinforcement
Continuous Reinforcement: reinforcing the desired behavior everytime it occurs.
Learning happens very quickly.
Extinction happens very quickly if reinforcement is stopped.
Partial (Intermittent) Reinforcement: reinforcing a desired behavior only part of the time.
Learning takes longer (slower acquisition)
TAKES LONGER for extinction to occur.

19. Immediate vs. Delayed Reinforcement
In rats, if you delay reinforcement, virtually no learning will occur.
Although humans do recognize delayed reinforcement, immediate gratification sometimes move us into risky behavior.
EX: smoking, drinking, unprotected sex.

20. Reinforcement Schedules
CONCEPTS within Schedules
Fixed means the same/constant.
Variable means changes.
Ratio refers to responses.
Interval refers to time.

21. Reinforcement Schedules
Fixed Ratio: A response is reinforced only after a specified number of responses.
Ex: Paid $1 for every 20 fruits you pick.
Work hardest under this schedule.

22. Reinforcement Schedules
Variable-Ratio: a response is reinforced after an unpredictable amount of responses.
Ex: Slot machine payoff.
Produces high rate of response since reinforcement increases with number of responses.

23. Reinforcement Schedules
Fixed-Interval: reinforces a response after a specified time has passed.
Ex: Checking oven when meal timer is about up.
High responses near time elapse.

24. Reinforcement Schedules
Variable-Interval: response is reinforced at unpredictable time intervals.
Ex: Pop Quiz
Responses are steady throughout….study frequently cause you don’t know when quiz is.

25. Reinforcement Schedule Patterns

26. Which Schedule of Reinforcement is This. Ratio or Interval
Which Schedule of Reinforcement is This? Ratio or Interval? Fixed or Variable?
Rat gets food every third time it presses the lever
Getting paid weekly no matter how much work is done
Getting paid for every ten boxes you make
Hitting a jackpot sometimes on the slot machine
Winning sometimes on the lottery you play once a day
Checking cell phone all day; sometimes getting a text
Buy eight pizzas, get the next one free
Fundraiser averages one donation for every eight houses visited
Kid has tantrum, parents sometimes give in
Repeatedly checking mail until paycheck arrives FR FI VR
VI/VR VI
Click to reveal question, then answer.
Instructor: on the first few items, or for students who may struggle, you could call on people to simply state whether it’s ratio or interval, or whether it’s fixed or variable. However, after #5, ask for answers stating the whole term such as “fixed interval.”
Explanations for selected items:
#5. If you play once a day, then the ratio (percentage of behaviors rewarded) and the interval (percentage of days rewarded) are the same, so both answers are correct.
#6. The reward for checking for messages is a function of time, not a function of how often you check. This goes for #10 as well, but paychecks are on a fixed interval, while text messages come in variable intervals.
#8. The word “average” is crucial: donations can vary tremendously, so the average is no guarantee of a fixed ratio of donations every eighth house.

27. Cognition’s Effect on Operant Conditioning
Cognitive map: a mental representation of one’s environment that is developed without the aid of reinforcement.
Latent learning: learning that occurs (like cognitive map) that is not apparent until there is an incentive to justify it.
Ex: rats that were not reinforced while in a maze could navigate it just as fast when there was a reward put at the end.

28. Cognition’s Effect on Operant Conditioning
Overjustification Effect: the effect of promising a reward for something someone already likes to do may hamper enjoyment of the activity.
May cognitively change behavior from intrinsic motivation to focus on reward (extrinsic).

29. Biological Predispositions
Just like classical conditioning, animals more easily learn behaviors that are natural or conducive to survival during operant conditioning.

30. Terms from last time applied to Operant Conditioning
Acquisition: when behavior is first strengthened by a reinforcer.
Extinction: behavior decreases because a behavior is no longer reinforced.
Temper tantrums
Spontaneous Recovery: reappearance of behavior after rest period when no longer reinforced.