Operant Conditioning Operant Conditioning A type of learning

Operant Conditioning

Operant Conditioning • A type of learning in which behavior is strengthened if followed by reinforcement or diminished if followed by punishment.

Edward Thorndike • Law of Effect: rewarded behavior is likely to recur.

B. F. Skinner

Shaping • A procedure in Operant Conditioning in which reinforcers guide behavior closer and closer towards a goal.

Successive approximations

Operant Conditioning Chamber Conditioning

Reinforcer • Any event that STRENGTHENS the behavior it follows. Two Types of Reinforcement: Positive and Negative

Positive Reinforcement • Strengthens a response by adding (+) a rewarding stimulus after a response.

Negative Reinforcement is NOT the same as PUNISHMENT!) • Strengthens a response by reducing or removing ( - )an aversive stimulus.

Types of Reinforcers

Primary Reinforcer • An innately reinforcing stimulus

Conditioned (Secondary) Reinforcer • A stimulus that gains it reinforcing power through its association with a primary reinforcer.

Immediate v. Delayed Reinforcers

Reinforcement Schedules

Continuous Reinforcement • Reinforcing the desired response every time it occurs; overjustification effect Quick Acquisition Quick Extinction

Partial Reinforcement • Reinforcing a response only part of the time. • The acquisition process is slower. • Greater resistance to extinction.

Fixed-ratio Schedules • A schedule that reinforces a response only after a specified number of responses. Example: I give cookie monster a cookie every FIVE times he sings “C is for cookie”.

Variable-ratio Schedule • A schedule of reinforcement that reinforces a response after an unpredictable number of responses. Example: I give Homer a doughnut at random times when he says “DOH!!!”

Fixed-interval Schedule • A schedule of reinforcement that reinforces a response only after a specified time has elapsed. Example: I give Bart a Butterfinger every ten minutes after he moons someone.

Variable-interval Schedule • A schedule of reinforcement that reinforces a response at unpredictable time intervals. Pop Quizzes

Punishment • An event that DECREASE S the behavior that it follows. Does punishment work?

Classical v. Operant • They both use acquisition, discrimination, SR, generalization and extinction. • Classical Conditioning is automatic (respondent behavior). Dogs automatically salivate over meat, then bell- no thinking involved. • Operant Conditioning involves behavior where one can influence their environment with behaviors which have consequences (operant behavior).

Is the organism learning associations between events that it doesn’t control? Classical Conditioning Is the organism learning associations between its behavior and resulting events? Operant Conditioning

Cognition and Operant Conditioning Cognitive Map (Tolman) mental representation of the layout of one’s environment Example: after exploring a maze, rats act as if they have learned a cognitive map of it Latent Learning learning that occurs, but is not apparent until there is an incentive to demonstrate it

In 1990's the average child watched : --27 hours of TV per week -1, 000 murders, rapes or assaults on TV ---the same child sees 20 k commercials per year featuring toys that encourage aggression

Observational Learning learning by observing others Modeling process of observing and imitating a specific behavior Prosocial Behavior positive, constructive, helpful behavior opposite of antisocial behavior

Observational Learning Mirror Neurons frontal lobe neurons that fire when observing another doing so may enable imitation, language learning, and empathy Overjustification effect

Learned Helplessness (Seligman) • The hopelessness and passive resignation an animal or human learns when unable to avoid repeated aversive events.