Operant Conditioning Basics A form of learning in

Operant Conditioning Basics • A form of learning in which responses come to be controlled by their consequences

Operant Conditioning Basics • Shaping • The process of reinforcing closer and closer approximations of a desired response

Operant Conditioning Basics cont. Signal • • Behavior Consequence Discriminative stimulus: Signal or cue in the environment that indicates the probable consequence of a response (behavior) • Differences between Operant Cond. and CC Ø Behavior is mostly voluntary instead of mostly reflexive as in CC Ø Behavior depends largely on what comes after it, instead of what precedes it in CC

Operant Conditioning Basics cont. Possible Consequences of Behaviors • Reinforcement – increases the probability of a behavior being repeated; also increases the rate of response Ø Positive Reinforcement – give something desirable (reward) Ø Ex: A biscuit when your dog gives you his paw Ø Negative Reinforcement – take away something unpleasant Ø Ex: Annoying dinging stops when you fasten your seatbelt v Both result in an increase in the rate of response!

Operant Conditioning Basics cont. Possible Consequences of Behaviors • Punishment – decreases the probability of a behavior being repeated; also decreases the rate of response Ø Positive Punishment – give something unpleasant Ø Ex: A smack in the face for a child who swears Ø Negative Punishment – take away something the organism desires Ø Ex: No PSP for you because you stayed out too late v Both result in a decrease in the rate of response!

Reinforcers and Punishers Increase Behavior Pleasant Stimulus Decrease Behavior Positive Reinforcement Negative Punishment Ex: Give a sticker for a good test Ex: Take away child’s toys Negative Reinforcement Positive Punishment removed Ex: Electric shock applied Aversive (Unpleasant) Stimulus Ex: Electric shock

Classify the Consequence 1. A rat runs to the end of the maze and receives an electric shock • Positive punishment 2. Student studies to avoid failing an exam • Negative reinforcement 3. Misbehavior results in a child not being allowed to watch his or her fav. TV show • Negative punishment 4. Employee receives praise for a job well done • Positive reinforcement

Classify the Consequence 5. Rat turns an activity wheel to terminate electric shock • Negative reinforcement 6. Rat presses lever and causes a scheduled delivery of a food pellet to be skipped • Negative punishment 7. Rat presses lever and receives a food pellet • Positive reinforcement 8. Political figure is caught cheating on his wife and suffers public contempt • Positive punishment

Classify the Consequence 9. A teenager has his or her car keys taken away for staying out past his or her curfew • Negative punishment 10. You swat your dog with a newspaper after he pees on the floor • Positive punishment 11. You stop twisting your little brother’s arm when he says “uncle” • Negative reinforcement

Schedules of Reinforcement • Continuous reinforcement Ø Each and every target behavior is reinforced Ø Intermittent Schedules • Fixed ratio Ø Reinforcement only after a certain fixed number of correct responses Ø EX: Payment of $1. 00 for every ten pairs of Nike sneakers you work on • Variable ratio Ø Reinforcement after a varying number of correct responses Ø EX: Playing a slot machine

Schedules of Reinforcement • Fixed interval Ø Reinforcement for a particular behavior after a fixed amount of time has passed Ø EX: Getting paid $7. 25 an hour • Variable interval Ø Reinforcement for a particular behavior after a variable amount of time has passed Ø EX: Random pop quizzes based on homework

Other Operant Conditioning Principles • Extinction Ø The response slows and disappears because it is no longer reinforced • Resistance to extinction Ø The degree to which a response continues despite the fact that it is no longer reinforced

Impact of reinforcement schedules on rate of responding and resistance to extinction • Continuous reinforcement Ø Fast response rate, but low resistance to extinction • Fixed vs. variable schedules Ø Variable produce a steadier response rate, and are more resistant to extinction • Ratio vs. interval schedules Ø Ratio produces a faster response rate

Generalization vs. discrimination • Generalization Ø Responding to a new stimulus as if it were the original (in expectation of a reinforcer) Ø EX: A dog runs to his food bowl Ø when he hears the pans clattering • Discrimination Ø Not responding to a somewhat similar stimulus Ø EX: A dog knows the difference between the sound of food hitting his bowl and of plates being unloaded from the dishwasher

Concurrent Schedules of Reinforcement

Two Process Theory of Avoidance Learning

Conditioned Taste Aversion