Thinking About Psychology:

The Science of Mind and Behavior

Charles T. Blair-BroekerRandal M. Ernst

Operant Conditioning

Module 16

Operant Conditioning

• A type of learning in which the frequency of a behavior depends on the consequence that follows that behavior

• The frequency will increase if the consequence is reinforcing to the subject.

• The frequency will decrease if the consequence is not reinforcing to the subject.

Difference between Classical and Operant conditioning

• Classical• * involuntary response (something you must

do – ex?)• Learned association

between stimuli

• Operant• Voluntary response• Based on a

consequence – reward or punishment

The Law of Effect

Module 16: Operant Conditioning

Edward Thorndike (1874-1949)

• Author of the law of effect• Behaviors with favorable consequences

will occur more frequently.• Behaviors with unfavorable

consequences will occur less frequently.• Created puzzle boxes for research on

cats

Thorndike’s Puzzle Box What is the voluntary response?

B.F. Skinner (1904-1990)

• Developed the fundamental principles and techniques of operant conditioning and devised ways to apply them in the real world

• Designed the Skinner Box, or operant chamber

Operant Chamber

Using Thorndike's law of effect as a starting point, Skinner developed the

Operant chamber, or the Skinner box, to study operant conditioning.

9

Walter D

awn/ P

hoto Researchers, Inc.

From

The

Ess

entia

ls o

f Con

ditio

ning

and

Lea

rnin

g, 3

rd

Edi

tion

by M

icha

el P

. Dom

jan,

200

5. U

sed

with

per

mis

sion

by

Thom

son

Lear

ning

, Wad

swor

th D

ivis

ion

Reinforcement/Punishment

• Reinforcement - Any consequence that increases the likelihood of the behavior it follows

• Punishment - Any consequence that decreases the likelihood of the behavior it follows

• The subject determines if a consequence is reinforcing or punishing (ex. go to your room)

Reinforcement

Module 16: Operant Conditioning

Positive Reinforcement

• Anything that increases the likelihood of a behavior by following it with a desirable event or state

• The subject receives something they want

• Will strengthen the behavior

Positive Reinforcement

Positive reinforcement

• With a partner, come up with one example of positive reinforcement for:– A kid– A teenager– An adult

Negative Reinforcement

• Anything that increases the likelihood of a behavior by following it with the removal of an undesirable event or state

• Something the subject doesn’t like is removed

• Will strengthen the behavior

Negative Reinforcement

Negative reinforcement

• With a partner, come up with on example of negative reinforcement for:– A kid– A teenager– An adult

Positive/Negative Reinforcement

Big Bang Theory clip

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guroaQRFsX4

20

Analyze Charts of Reinforcement

Reinforcement: Immediate Versus

Delayed Reinforcement

Module 16: Operant Conditioning

Immediate & Delayed Reinforcers

1. Immediate Reinforcer: A reinforcer that occurs instantly after a behavior. A rat gets a food pellet for a bar press. (30 seconds)

2. Delayed Reinforcer: A reinforcer that is delayed in time for a certain behavior. A paycheck that comes at the end of a week.

3. Which is more effective?4. Which leads to higher achievement?5. Which do you prefer?

22

Reinforcement: Primary Versus

Secondary Reinforcement

Module 16: Operant Conditioning

Primary Reinforcement

• Something that is naturally reinforcing• Examples: food, warmth, water, etc.• The item is reinforcing in and of itself

• Ex. You want to train your dog to “shake”. What do you give it to reinforce the desired behavior?

Secondary Reinforcement

• Something that a person has learned to value or finds rewarding because it is paired with a primary reinforcer

• Money is a good example because?• But, your dog doesn’t want money.

What could be a secondary reinforcer for a dog?

Punishment:The Process of

Punishment

Module 16: Operant Conditioning

Types of Punishment

• An undesirable event following a behavior (positive or negative?)

• A desirable state or event ends following a behavior (positive or negative?)

31

Analyze Punishment Charts

32

PUNISHMENT

• REMEMBER:

• POSITIVE IS TO ADD • NEGATIVE IS TO SUBTRACT

• DO NOT THINK IN TERMS OF GOOD AND BAD!

Punishment Examples

• Come up with an example of Positive Punishment– For a toddler– For a teenager– For an adult

• Come up with an example of Negative Punishment– For a toddler– For a teenager– For an adult

33

Punishment examples

• Write down about time when you were punished.

• What were the immediate and lasting effects?

• Did the punishment fit the crime?• Did the punishment decrease the behavior?

34

Positive Effects of Punishment

• Punishment can effectively control certain behaviors.

• Especially useful if teaching a child not to do a dangerous behavior

• Most still suggest reinforcing an incompatible behavior rather than using punishment

Negative Effects of Punishment

• Doesn’t prevent the undesirable behavior when away from the punisher

• Can lead to fear, anxiety, and lower self-esteem

• Children who are punished physically may learn to use aggression as a means to solve problems.

37

GUIDELINES IN USING PUNISHMENT

• Specify why• Concentrate on behavior not the person• Should be immediate and strong enough

without being too strong• Be careful of escalation (if punishment is

not given early enough, bad behavior escalates

• Combine with other behavior

Some Reinforcement Procedures:

Shaping

Module 16: Operant Conditioning

Activity

Shaping

• Reinforcement of behaviors that are more and more similar to the one you want to occur

• Technique used to establish a new behavior

Schedules of Reinforcement:

Continuous Reinforcement

Module 16: Operant Conditioning

Continuous reinforcement

• A schedule of reinforcement in which a reward follows every correct response

• Most useful way to establish a behavior• The behavior will extinguish quickly

once the reinforcement stops.

Schedules of Reinforcement:

Partial Reinforcement

Module 16: Operant Conditioning

Partial Reinforcement

• A schedule of reinforcement in which a reward follows only some correct responses

• Includes the following types:–Fixed-interval and variable interval–Fixed-ratio and variable-ratio

45

PARTIAL OR INTERMITTENT REINFORCEMENT TERMS

• Fixed - Never changing• Variable - Changing• Interval - Having to do with time• Ratio - Having to do with behavior or

performance

Fixed-Interval Schedule

• A partial reinforcement schedule that rewards only the first correct response after some defined period of time

• i.e. weekly quiz in a class

Variable-Interval Schedule

• A partial reinforcement that rewards the first correct response after an unpredictable amount of time

• i.e. “pop” quiz in a class

Fixed-Ratio Schedule

• A partial reinforcement schedule that rewards a response only after some defined number of correct responses

• The faster the subject responds, the more reinforcements they will receive.

Variable-Ratio Schedule

• A partial reinforcement schedule that rewards an unpredictable number of correct responses

• This schedule is very resistant to extinction.

• Sometimes called the “gambler’s schedule”; similar to a slot machine

Schedules of Reinforcement

51

Schedules of Reinforcement Activity

Some Reinforcement Procedures:

Discrimination and Extinction

Module 16: Operant Conditioning

Discrimination

• The ability to distinguish between two similar stimuli

• Learning to respond to one stimuli but not to a similar stimuli

Extinction

• In operant conditioning, the loss of a conditioned behavior when consequences no longer follow it.

• The subject no longer responds since the reinforcement or punishment has stopped.

New Understandings of Operant

Conditioning: The Role of Cognition

Module 16: Operant Conditioning

Latent Learning

• Learning that takes place in absence of an apparent reward

• Ex. Who thinks they can tell me the times for the periods today WITHOUT looking?

Cognitive Map

• A mental representation of a place• Experiments showed rats could learn a

maze without any reinforcements• Is an example of latent learning• Do you know what lot to park in at the

mall based on how close it is to a store you wanted to go to?

Overjustification Effect• The effect of promising a reward for

doing what someone already likes to do• The reward may lessen and replace the

person’s original, natural motivation, so that the behavior stops if the reward is eliminated

• Ex. You get straight A’s. Parents start to give $5 for each A. Senior year they stop giving you $ for A’s. You…?

New Understandings of Operant

Conditioning:The Role of Biology

Module 16: Operant Conditioning

Biological Predisposition

• Research suggests some species are biologically predisposed to learn specific behaviors

• Why is it easy to teach a dog to “fetch” a ball, but difficult to teach a dog not to chase a squirrel?

The End