OPERANT CONDITIONING Copyright Allyn Bacon 2007 How Do

How Do We Learn New Behaviors by Operant Conditioning? In operant conditioning, the consequences of behavior, such as rewards and punishments, influence the chance that our behavior will occur again Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007

I CAN • Recognize the differences between CC and OC Copyright © Allyn &

• With classical conditioning, you can teach a dog to salivate, but you can’t teach it to sit up or roll over • “Voluntary’ behaviors are really controlled by rewards and punishments Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007

Rewards and Punishments • Common Rewarding Consequences: money, praise, food, good grades, …. = encourage behaviors • Common Punishment Consequences: pain, loss of privilege, low grades, … = discouraged behaviors Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007

Operant • An operant is an observable, voluntary behavior that an organism uses to ‘operate’ in the environment or have an effect upon its environment. • Example: If you are reading a class textbook to get a better grade, reading is an operant behavior Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007

Operant Conditioning • Learning occurs as a result of reinforcement where specific rewards or punishments are given in order to achieve or discourage the behavior to be changed. 1. Accounts for a much wider spectrum of behavior than classical conditioning 2. It explains new behaviors, not simply reflective Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 behaviors (like salivation)

The central idea of operant conditioning is that behavior becomes more likely or less likely depending on its consequences A response can lead to three types of consequences: Neutral Consequence: no impact Reinforcement: Encouraging the response Punishment: Discouraging the response

Edward Thorndike The most basic form of learning is trial and error learning. Change in behavior based on the outcome of previous trials Inefficient behaviors are eliminated for more successful ones… As in the ‘cat in the. Copyright box’© Allyn & Bacon 2007

The Cat in a Box • The cat was confined inside the chamber. • The cat’s task was to learn to escape from the box. • However, only by pulling a particular device could the cat escape. • Since there were several devices, the task was difficult. • Still, the cat usually escaped after a number of minutes. Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007

The Cat in a Box • As trials proceeded, the escape response occurred more quickly. • The learning was gradual and orderly. • Thorndike concluded that the cats did not use reasoning to solve this problem but rather slow trial-and -error learning. Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007

Edward Thorndike’s Law of Effect Behavior is controlled by its consequence a) Responses to a situation that are followed by satisfaction are strengthened b) Responses that are followed by discomfort areorganisms weakened. Essentially, will learn to Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 perform responses that are REWARDED

How Do We Learn New Behaviors by Operant Conditioning? • Trial-and-Error Learning • Learner gradually discovers the correct response by attempting many behaviors and noting which ones produce the desired consequences Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007

Thorndike’s Law of Effect • TRIAL AND ERROR Shooting a basketball free throw Copyright

Watch the video Malachi learning by trial and error On Youtube Copyright © Allyn

B. F. Skinner was the leading supporter of the school of psychology known as behaviorism Skinner maintained that learning occurred as a result of the organism responding to, or operating on, its environment Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007

Skinner’s Radical Behaviorism • Believed that the most powerful influences on behavior are its consequences • Refused to consider what happens in an organism's mind because you can’t verify it by observation For example: hunger or pleasure Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007