Operant Conditioning u An operant is a spontaneous

Operant Conditioning u An ‘operant’ is a spontaneous behavior that affects the environment so as to produce a consequence (reinforcing or punishing). Reinforcement: Increases the behavior (in the future). u Punishment: Decreases the behavior (in the future). u

Behavior Present Stim. Increase Positive Reinforcement Remove Stim. Negative Reinforcement Decrease Aversive Punishment Response Cost (Punishment)

Reinforcement and Punishment Example

The Situation: A child reaches out and grabs a candy bar. The father takes it away. The child cries and has a temper tantrum. The father buys the candy. The child stops crying.

Choose from the following: positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, aversive punishment, response cost (punishment). The child’s grabbing the candy was ______ by the father taking the candy away? The father’s taking the candy away has been _____ by the child’s crying and tantrum? The child’s crying and tantrum was _____ by the father’s buying of the candy? The father’s buying the candy was ______ by the child’s stopping the crying and tantrum?

Important Concepts u Immediate reinforcement is more effective than delayed reinforcement. u Shaping: reinforcing successive approximations toward a final response.

Also in Operant Conditioning: u Extinction u Spontaneous Recovery u Generalization u Discrimination

Partial Reinforcement u Fixed-Ratio Schedule u Variable-Ratio Schedule u Fixed-Interval Schedule u Variable-Ratio Schedule