Unit 4: Learning“Operant Conditioning”

BehaviorismTo a Behaviorist: Everything you know, everything you are is the result of human behavior.Psychology is the study of behavior, not of the mind!Picked up steam in the late 1960s and during the 1970s. A reaction to the non-scientific work of Freud.

Edward ThorndikeLaw of Effect: rewarded behavior is likely to be repeated.Studied at cats inside a ‘puzzle box’ - found that a well-practiced cat will find the way out.

If an action brings an reward, Thorndike believed that that action becomes stamped into the mind.

Behavior changes because of the consequences of that behavior.

Previous theories had emphasized practice or repetition.Thorndike gave equal consideration to the effects of reward or punishment, success or failure, & satisfaction or annoyance on the learner.

Thorndike’s Puzzle Box

Classical vs. OperantThey both use acquisition,

discrimination, S-R, generalization & extinction.Classical Conditioning:

automatic (respondent behavior). Ex.) Your dog gets sick & requires several painful trips to the vet. Now he hides every time he hears you rattle your keys. Automatic.

Your cat is excited to eat because he knows that as soon as you get home, he gets fed.

Operant Conditioning: behavior where one can influence their environment with behaviors which have consequences (operant behavior).Ex.) Teacher comments on test.

Child working on homework, if completed can play their Xbox. If not completed, may lose play time.

Operant ConditioningA type of learning in which behavior is strengthened if followed by reinforcement or diminished if followed by punishment

Trial & Error---------------->Trial & Reward---------->Operant Conditioning

Operant Response - Reinforcement - Learned Behavior

in rats:

★ trial and error learning★ allows acquisition of motor programs that are not

instinctive★ behavior shaped by rewards★ develops as a result of the association of

reinforcement with a particular response★ on a proportion of occasions

Operant Conditioning

Overviewhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drnnulHw5CM

B.F. SkinnerInstead of antecedents of behavior (what comes before) a new focus on consequences of behavior.BF Skinner argued that, CC did not explain complex behavior.

2 categories of consequences: Reinforcement & Punishment

Reinforcement is designed to increase the probability that a behavior will occur again.

Punishment is designed to decrease the probability that a behavior will occur again.

Operant Conditioning Chamber

YouTube: Big Bang Theory - Operant Conditioning

ShapingA procedure in Operant Conditioning - reinforces & guides behavior closer and closer towards a goal.Reinforcers guide behavior, step-by-step. Closer and closer to the target behavior through successive approximations. “Baby Steps”

ReinforcersAny event that STRENGTHENS the behavior it follows. (Increases likelihood of behavior repeating)

There are + and – reinforcers.+ Positive Reinforcers: Strengthens a response by presenting a stimulus after a response.- Negative Reinforcers: Strengthens a response by reducing or removing an aversive stimulus.

Positive ReinforcementStrengthens a response by

presenting a stimulus after a response.

$$$ Getting Paid!We may continue to go to work each day because we receive a paycheck on a weekly or monthly basis.  

***AWARDS***If we receive awards for writing short stories, we may be more likely to increase the frequency of writing short stories. 

"PRAISE!"Receiving praise for our karaoke performances can increase how often we sing. 

Negative ReinforcementStrengthens a response by

reducing or removing an aversive stimulus.Example: Driving in heavy traffic is a negative condition for most of us. You leave home earlier than usual one morning, & don't run into heavy traffic. You leave home earlier again the next morning & again you avoid heavy traffic. Your behavior of leaving home earlier is strengthened by the consequence of the avoidance of heavy traffic.

The concept of Negative Reinforcement is difficult to learn because of the word negative. Negative Reinforcement is often confused with Punishment. They are very different, however.

Negative Reinforcement strengthens a behavior because a negative condition is stopped or avoided as a consequence of the behavior.

PunishmentWeakens a behavior because a negative condition is introduced or experienced as a consequence of the behavior.Punishment is often mistakenly confused with negative reinforcement.

Remember, reinforcement always increases the chances that a behavior will occur

& Punishment always decreases the chances that a behavior will occur.

Positive Punishmentaka... "punishment by application" Positive punishment involves presenting an aversive stimulus after a behavior as occurred. For example, when a student talks out of turn in the middle of class, the teacher might scold the child for interrupting her.

Negative Punishmentaka... "punishment by

removal" Negative punishment involves taking away a desirable stimulus after a behavior as occurred.

Example: Student talks out of turn again, the teacher promptly tells the child that he will have to miss recess because of his behavior.

Positive or Negative Reinforcement? Cleaning the house to get rid of the disgusting mess and/or to stop your mother from nagging

Positive or Negative Reinforcement? Cleaning the house to get rid of the disgusting mess and/or to stop your mother from nagging

NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENTStrengthens a response by reducing or removing an aversive stimulus.Nagging/Mess as negative reinforcer to cleaning.

Positive or Negative Reinforcement?

Taking aspirin to relieve a headache

Positive or Negative Reinforcement?Taking aspirin to relieve a headache

NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENTStrengthens a response by reducing or removing an aversive stimulus. (The headache is the aversive stimulus)

headache as negative reinforcer to taking medication

Positive or Negative Reinforcement?Listening to your favorite music after studying for an hour

Positive or Negative Reinforcement? Listening to your favorite music after studying for an hourPOSITIVE REINFORCEMENT: Strengthens a response by presenting a stimulus after a response.

Positive or Negative Reinforcement?Leaving the movie theater if the movie is bad

Positive or Negative Reinforcement? -- Leaving the movie theater if the movie is badNegative Reinforcement: strengthens a behavior because a negative condition is stopped or avoided as a consequence of the behavior.

Positive or Negative Reinforcement? Giving in to an argument or to a child or dog’s begging

Positive or Negative Reinforcement? Giving in to an argument or to a child or dog’s beggingNegative Reinforcement: strengthens a behavior because a negative condition is stopped or avoided as a consequence of the behavior.Negative reinforcement is NOT the same as punishment! Negative reinforcers, like all reinforcers, increase the frequency of the responses that they follow.

Punishment, in contrast, decreases the frequency of responses.