1. Operant Conditioning Mr. Koch AP Psychology Forest Lake High School

2. Operant Conditioning Type of learning in which behavior is strengthened if followed by reinforcement or diminished if followed by punishment – (aka - Instrumental Conditioning) Antecedent → Behavior → Consequence (stimulus) (response) – Law of Effect (Thorndike) Principle that behaviors followed by: – Favorable consequences → more likely – Unfavorable consequences → less likely

3. B.F. Skinner (1904-1990)

4. Skinner Box (aka Operant Chamber) Controlled environment with a bar or key for animal to manipulate to obtain food/water reinforcer Contains devices to record responses

7. Operant Conditioning Reinforcement – Any event that strengthens the behavior it follows Positive Reinforcement – Increases frequency of behavior by adding a pleasant stimulus Ex: Money, praise, prizes, attention Negative Reinforcement – Increases frequency of behavior by removing an unpleasant (aversive) stimulus Ex: Aspirin, giving in to tantrum, faking sick, drugs to avoid withdrawal

8. Operant Conditioning Primary Reinforcer – Innately reinforcing stimulus (satisfies a biological need) Ex: food, water, relief from pain, etc. Secondary Reinforcer (aka - Conditioned Reinforcer) – Gains its reinforcing power through its association with a primary reinforcer Ex: money, grades, etc.

9. Operant Conditioning Shaping – Reinforcing a series of behaviors which progressively become more specific and similar to desired response (guide toward closer approximations of desired goal) Note: – What is reinforcing to one may not be to another Depends upon perspective of learner – Ex: suspension; forced to stay after school

22. Schedules of Reinforcement Continuous Reinforcement – Reinforcing desired response every time it occurs + acquire quickly - extinct quickly Partial (intermittent) Reinforcement – Reinforcing part of the time - acquire slower + extinct slower

23. Schedules of Reinforcement (Partial Reinforcement) Fixed-Ratio schedule – Reinforced after certain number of responses – Ex: piecework, bonus paid for selling certain # items Variable-Ratio schedule – Reinforcement after an unpredictable number of responses Very hard to extinguish – Ex: gambling, fishing, hitchhiking

24. Schedules of Reinforcement (Partial Reinforcement) Fixed-Interval schedule – Reinforce a response after a set period of time has elapsed Ex: payday, mail delivery, school schedule Variable-Interval schedule – Reinforce a response at unpredictable time intervals Ex: pop quiz, random drug tests, waiting for taxi

26. Punishment An event that decreases the strength of a behavior it follows Aversive Conditioning – using punishment to teach Positive Punishment (“Type I” Punishment) – Adding an unpleasant (aversive) stimulus to decrease behavior Ex: spanking, electric shock Negative Punishment (“Type II” Punishment) – Removing a pleasant/desirable stimulus to decrease behavior Ex: time out, grounding

27. Punishment Problems with punishment: – Tells us what not to do, not what to do – May teach avoidance, fear, or aggression – If punishment is unpredictable, unavoidable – get sense it is beyond our control May lead to depression, helplessness – Better to emphasize reinforcement

28. Operant Conditioning Avoidance Conditioning – Undesirable behavior not yet present subject taught to avoid stimulus Counter-conditioning – Undesirable behaviors already learned Seek a new response – unlearn old behavior