1. Operant Conditioning

2. Operant Conditioning: My Q’s
What is Thorndike’s Law of Effect?
What is the difference between operant conditioning and classical conditioning?
Describe each of the forms of reinforcement and punishment.
How can punishment be made more effective?

3. What is Thorndike’s Law of Effect?
Edward Thorndike conducted experiments with cats in “puzzle boxes” and he found that the cat—wanting to escape to get food—tried to anything to get out.
Eventually the cat discovered a lever in the box that opened the box.
The cat, after several times, learned to hit the lever.
Thorndike then came up with his “Law of Effect”: A response followed by a pleasurable response will be repeated, but if there is an unpleasant response, it will not be repeated.

4. What are the Principles of Operant Conditioning?
B.F. Skinner named the learning of voluntary responses operant conditioning, because voluntary responses are what we use to operate on the world around us.
Operant conditioning focuses on the effects of consequences on behavior.
Skinner developed the concept of reinforcement which is the process of strengthening a response by following a response by following it with a pleasurable, rewarding consequence.

5. Difference Between Classical and Operant Conditioning
One of the simplest ways to remember the differences between classical and operant conditioning is to focus on whether the behavior is involuntary or voluntary.
Classical conditioning involves making an association between an involuntary response and a stimulus.
Operant conditioning is about making an association between a voluntary behavior and a consequence.

6. Primary and Secondary Reinforcers
A primary reinforcer is something like food or water that satisfies a basic, natural drive.
A secondary reinforcer is something that becomes reinforcing only after being paired with a primary reinforcer.
What do you think is the most commonly, desired secondary reinforcer?

7. Positive and Negative Reinforcement
In positive reinforcement, a response if followed by the presentation of a pleasurable stimulus.
For example, if my little brother goes “potty” in the toilet, I would give him a sticker.
In negative reinforcement, a response is followed by the removal or avoidance of an unpleasant stimulus.
For example, if a student begins to turn his/her grades around, I would stop calling his/her parent.

8. Two Kinds of Punishment
Punishment is any event or stimulus that, when following a response, makes that response less likely to happen again.
In punishment by application, a response is followed by the application or experiencing of an unpleasant stimulus, such as spanking.
In punishment by removal, a response is followed by the removal of some pleasurable stimulus, such as taking away a child’s toy for misbehavior.

9. Punishment Continued
A person who uses aggressive punishment, might act as a model for aggressive behavior. This will increase aggressive behavior in the one being punished.
Punishment of both kinds normally has only a temporary effect on the behavior.
Punishment can be made more effective by making it immediate, consistent, and by pairing punishment of the undesirable behavior with reinforcement of a desirable one.