Operant Conditioning Very similar to Classical Conditioning 1

Operant Conditioning • Very similar to Classical Conditioning • 1 Big Difference • Operant Conditioning: When an individual’s own behaviour increases or decreases because of the response that behaviour is met with

B. F. Skinner • Burrhus Frederic Skinner, 19041990 • Considered free will an illusion -> all behaviour was governed by past experiences. • https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=LSv 992 Ts 6 as • Created the Operant Chamber or Skinner Box.

Reinforcers • Skinner was all about “the principle of reinforcement”. • Reinforcers: any event that strengthens the behaviour that the reinforcer follows.

Reinforcement Schedules • Continuous Reinforcement: Reinforces the response each time the response occurs. • Partial Reinforcement: Reinforces a response only part of the time. There are 4 types.

Operant Chamber/Skinner Box

Partial Reinforcement • Fixed Ratio Schedule: After a certain number of responses, reinforcement occurs. E. g. being paid commission, streaks in video games. • Variable Ratio Schedule: Reinforces a response after an unpredictable number of responses. E. g. Gambling, fishing.

Partial Reinforcement • Fixed Interval Schedule: Reinforces a response only after a specified time. E. g. Pay cheques, Exams. • Variable Interval Schedule: Reinforces a response at unpredictable time intervals. E. g. fishing?

Pigeon Guided Missiles • this is the silliest thing on earth… https: //www. youtube. com/watch ? v=mn. Ky. Of. Nu. Soo

Punishment • Positive Punishment: Administering an aversive stimulus. E. g. Spanking • Negative Punishment: Removing an aversive punishment. E. g. Removing privileges. • What would detention be?

Problems with punishment Although there may be some justification for occasional punishment, it usually leads to negative effects. (Larzelaere & Baumrind, 2002) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Results in unwanted fears. Gives no information to the person who is being punished. Justifies pain to others. Causes aggression towards the punisher. Causes unwanted behaviours to reappear in its absence. Causes one unwanted behaviour to appear in place of another.

TED Review • http: //ed. ted. com/lessons/thedifference-between-classicaland-operant-conditioning-peggy -andover

What kind of learning is Neo using? • https: //www. youtube. com/watch ? v=X-NAych. ZTyo

What kind of learning is Neo using? • Classical conditioning? • Operant Conditioning? • Instinct?

Social/Observational Learning • There doesn’t seem to be any conditioning going on. • No pairing of NS with US, etc. • No reinforcer/punisher.

Social/Observational Learning • Neo seems to be using what we call observational or social learning. • Social Learning: learning that occurs through observing the behaviours of others.

Important Term • When an someone observes another individual’s behaviour, the individual being observed is called the model. • Modelling behaviour refers to showing others, intentionally or otherwise, a certain type of behaviour.

Social/Observational Learning • A lot of social learning research is done with young individuals. • As a result, Piaget and other developmental psychologists’ research is drawn upon heavily during social learning research. • Why might social learning be important with young individuals?

Albert Bandura • 1925 - Present • Originator of Social Learning Theory. • Most influential experiment: Bobo Doll Experiment

The Bobo Doll Experiment • https: //youtu. be/Pr 0 OTCVt. Hb. U

The Bobo Doll Experiment • The control group was not exposed to any modelling at all. • What might be the problem with this control group? • Think of it as a kid…

Bobo Doll Experiment Method • 1. Modelling • 2. Aggression Arousal • 3. Observation

What does Bandura’s Bobo Doll Experiment prove? • Does it prove that behaviour is learned? • Does it prove that aggressive behaviour towards clown dolls is learned?

Social/Observational Learning • Experiments with monkeys and observational learning. • Picture board in front of them, touching the correct picture elicits a reward. • How do we differentiate between operant conditioning and social learning in this experiment?

One more type of learning… • Cognitive learning: Learning something just by thinking about it. • Requires a higher level of cognitive capacity. • Can be extremely important in personal development.

Mirror Neurons • Mirror Neurons: Frontal lobe neurons that fire when performing certain actions or when observing another doing so. They enable imitation and empathy.

Imitation Onset

Sociopaths and mirror neurons • Sociopath: someone who lacks the ability for “true” empathy. • No firm data for linking sociopaths with less mirror neuron development. • Logical hypothesis though.