1. Operant Conditioning Also known as… instrumental conditioning

2. Definition Operant Conditioning: a kind of learning in which an animal or human performs some behavior, and the following consequences (reward or punishment) increases or decreases the chance that an animal or human will again perform that same behavior.

3. Law of Effect Developed by E.L. Thorndike in late 1800’s States that behaviors followed by positive consequences are strengthened, while behaviors followed by negative consequences are weakened.

4. B.F. Skinner’s Operant Conditioning In 1938, Skinner coined the term operant response. Operant Response: a response that can be modified by its consequences and is a meaningful unit of ongoing behavior that can be easily measured. Shaping: procedure in which an experimenter successively reinforces behaviors that lead up to or approximate the desired behavior.

5. Examples of Operant Conditioning Training a dog Potty training children Training children to eat undesirable vegetables.

6. Reinforcers Reinforcement is a consequence that occurs after a behavior and increases the chance that the behavior will occur again. Punishment is a consequence that occurs after a behavior and decreases the chance that the behavior will occur again. Positive and Negative on both depending on the desired behavior.

7. Generalization The tendency for a stimulus similar to the original conditioned stimulus to elicit a response similar to the conditioned response.

8. Cognitive Learning (Conditioning) Involves mental processes, such as attention and memory; it may be learned through observation or imitation; and it may not involve any external rewards or require a person to perform any observable behaviors. Ex: 13 month old toddler watching golf channel and begins to imitate hitting a golf ball… by the time he is four… he is hitting real golf balls 70 yards.

9. Cognitive Map Developed by Edward Tolman A mental representation in the brain of the layout of an environment and its features.

10. Social Cognitive Learning Developed by Albert Bandura. Results from watching, imitating, and modeling and does not require the subject to perform an observable behavior or receive any reward.

11. Insight A man walks into a bar and asks for a glass of water… the bartender points a large handgun at the man… the man says “thank you” and walks out of the bar. A mental process marked by the sudden and expected solution to a problem “ah-ha” experience