1. Operant Conditioning

2. Operant Conditioning
A type of learning in which behavior is strengthened if followed by a reinforce or diminished if followed by a punisher.
The learning of voluntary behavior through the effects of pleasant and unpleasant consequences to responses.

3. Operant Conditioning Major persons: Edward Thorndike B. F. Skinner
Law of effect
Behaviors followed by favorable consequences become more likely, and behaviors followed by unfavorable consequences become less likely.

4. Operant Conditioning

5. Operant Conditioning
Skinner Box

6. Operant Conditioning
Reinforcement: in operant conditioning, any event that strengthens the behavior it follows
Shaping: an operant conditioning procedure in which reinforcers guide behavior toward closer and closer approximations of the desired behavior

7. Types of Reinforcers
Positive Reinforcement: the reinforcement of a response by the addition or experiencing of a pleasurable stimulus (a reward following a response).
Negative Reinforcement: the reinforcement of a response by the removal, escape from, or avoidance of an unpleasant stimulus.

8. Types of Reinforcers

9. The child earns good grades and receives a pleasurable consequence: a hug.
The noise outside a child's window is preventing the child from sleeping. The child removes the unpleasant stimulus (the loud noise) by wearing headphones.

10. Types of Reinforcers
Primary Reinforcer: any reinforcer that is naturally reinforcing by meeting a basic biological need, such as hunger, thirst, or touch.
Secondary Reinforcer: any reinforcer that becomes reinforcing after being paired with a primary reinforcer, such as praise, tokens, or gold stars.
Primary and Secondary reinforcers

11. Reinforcement Schedules
It matters when, and how often the reinforcement is given.
Animals must receive immediate reinforcement for the learning to occur.
Humans have the ability to respond to delayed reinforcers.

12. Reinforcement Schedules
Reinforcement schedules vary
Reinforcing a response every time it occurs is called Continuous Reinforcement
Most powerful type of reinforcement
Learning is rapid, but so is extinction
Partial (intermittent) Reinforcement is when the response is reinforced part of the time
Learning is slower, but resistant to extinction

13. Reinforcement Schedules

14. Punishment
Reinforcement increases behavior, punishment does the opposite.
A punisher is any consequence that decreases the frequency of the behavior that precedes it.
Just as there is positive and negative reinforcement, there is also positive and negative punishment.

15. Punishment

16. Punishment Negatives of using punishment
Punished behavior is suppressed not forgotten
Punishment teaches discrimination among
situations
Punishment can teach fear
Physical punishment may increase aggression