Operant Conditioning
Activity
WHO WANTS TO BE
OUR VOLUNTEER?

Operant Conditioning
In operant conditioning, the
consequences of behavior,
such as rewards and
punishments, influence the
chance that our behavior will
occur again
• Example: If you are reading a class textbook to get a better grade,
reading is an operant behavior
Classical vs. Operant
They both use acquisition, discrimination,
S-R, generalization & extinction.
Classical Conditioning:
automatic (respondent behavior).
Ex.)Your cat is excited when it hears you shake
the treat bag.
Operant Conditioning: behavior
where one can influence their
environment with behaviors which
have consequences (operant
behavior).
Ex.) Child working on homework, if completed
can play their Xbox. If not completed, may lose
play time.
Law of the Effect
• Behaviors with less favorable consequences will
occur less frequently and behaviors followed by
more favorable consequences will occur more
frequently
Reinforcement and Punishment
Reinforcement is designed to
increase the probability that a
behavior will occur again.
Punishment is designed to
decrease the probability that a
behavior will occur again.
Operant Conditioning (OC)
• B.F. Skinner - behaviorist
who developed the
fundamental principles and
techniques of operant
conditioning
• Developed the Skinner Box to
test OC
Operant Conditioning Chamber
https://www.youtube.com
/watch?v=D-RS80DVvrg
Shaping – reinforcement of behaviors that are increasingly
similar to the desired one
Positive Reinforcement
Remember reinforcement means increasing a behavior
▫ Positive doesn’t mean good and negative doesn’t mean bad
▫ Positive means adding a stimulus; negative removes a stimulus
• Positive Reinforcement - Strengthens a
response by presenting a positive stimulus after a
response.
▫ Example: Getting candy for answering a question
▫ Example: Receiving praise for our karaoke
performances can increase how often we sing.
Examples?
Negative Reinforcement
Negative Reinforcement: Strengthens a
response by reducing or removing an
aversive stimulus.
•
Example: Participating in class means taking the
days homework assignment
▫Example: Hitting the snooze button
▫
The concept of Negative Reinforcement is difficult to learn because of
the word negative. Negative Reinforcement is often confused with
Punishment. They are very different.
Is this positive or negative
reinforcement?
Which one is this?
• Imagine a teenager who is nagged by his mother
to take out the garbage week after week. After
complaining to his friends about the nagging, he
finally one day performs the task and to his
amazement, the nagging stops. Next week he
takes out the trash before he is asked to by his
mother.
NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENT
Positive or Negative Reinforcement?
Taking aspirin to relieve a headache
NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENT
Strengthens a response by reducing or removing an aversive
stimulus. (The headache is the aversive stimulus)
headache as negative reinforcer to taking medication
Primary and Secondary reinforcement
• Primary reinforcement: something that is naturally
reinforcing: food, warmth, water…
• Secondary reinforcement: something you have learned is a
reward because it is paired with a primary reinforcer: good
grades, money
Big Bang Theory
Look for times when positive and negative
reinforcement are applied. Please be ready to
give examples!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mt4N9GSBo
MI
Punishment
Weakens a behavior
because a negative
condition is introduced or
experienced as a
consequence of the
behavior.
Punishment is often mistakenly
confused with negative
reinforcement.
Remember, reinforcement always
increases the chances that a
behavior will occur
&
Punishment always decreases
the chances that a behavior will
occur.
Positive Punishment
Positive punishment is reducing
likelihood of behavior by adding
something bad
Example: Student talks out of turn in
the middle of class, the teacher might
scold the child for interrupting her.
Negative Punishment
Negative punishment - reducing
likelihood of behavior by taking
away something good
Example: Student talks out of turn
again, the teacher promptly tells the
child that he will have to miss
recess because of his behavior.
•Punishment works best when it is
immediately done after behavior
•Does not actually offer any
information about more
appropriate or desired
behaviors
Many psychologists note four drawbacks of
physically punishing children:
1. Punished behavior is suppressed, not forgotten
2. Punishment teaches discrimination. Was the
punishment effective removing cussing or just not
get caught
3. Punishment can teach fear. Most European
countries and most US states now ban physical
punishment.
4. Physical punishment may increase aggressiveness
by modeling aggression as a way to cope with
problems.
Positive of Negative Punishment?
Getting grounded for talking about to your parents
Positive Punishment
Positive of Negative Punishment?
Your phone is taken away after you out past curfew
Negative Punishment
Discrimination and Extinction
• Discrimination – ability to distinguish between
two stimuli
▫ Example: fire alarm and school bell
• Extinction – loss of a behavior when no
consequences follow it
▫ Example: stop flirting with someone after they
don’t respond to us
Reinforcement Schedules
refer to a programs or rules that
determine how and when the occurrence
of a response will be followed by a
reinforcer
Ratio refers to the number of responses
that are required before the reward is
given.
Interval refers to the amount of time
between rewards.
Continuous Reinforcement
Reward following every correct response
Best used for establishing a behavior
Extinction occurs quickly
Examples?
Quick Acquisition
Quick Extinction
Partial Reinforcement
Rewards follow only some
responses
Initial learning is slower.
Greater resistance to extension
Four schedules: Fixed-interval, Variableinterval, Fixed-ratio and Variable-ratio
Fixed-Ratio Schedule
Reinforces a response only after a
specified number of responses.
Example: One reinforce for 30
responses
Variable-Ratio Schedule
Reinforces after an unpredictable
number of responses
•Most effective
Example: gambling, hunting
Fixed-ratio Schedules
Example: I give cookie monster a cookie
every FIVE times he sings “C is for cookie”.
Variable-ratio Schedule
Example: I give Homer a donut at random
times when he says “DOH!!!”
Fixed-Interval Schedule
Reinforcement that reinforces
a response only after a
specified time has elapsed.
Example: Weekly paycheck
Variable-Interval Schedule
Reinforcement that
strengthens a response at
unpredictable time
intervals
Example: Pop Quizzes
Fixed-interval Schedule
Example: I give Bart a Butterfinger every ten
minutes after he moons someone.
Variable-interval Schedule
Boss checking your work
Reinforcement Schedules
Schedules of Reinforcement
• FIXED=SET
• VARIABLE=RANDOM
• RATIO=NUMBER
• INTERVAL=TIME
▫ ALL PARTIAL REINFORCEMENT!
Reinforcement Schedules
• Fixed Ratio (FR), Variable Ratio (VR), Fixed Interval (FI),
Variable Interval (VI)
1. Buying a lottery ticket
2. A hotel maid taking a 15 minute break after cleaning 3
rooms
3. Watching and seeing shooting stars on a dark night
4. Receiving an allowance every Saturday
5. Checking the porch for a delivery person that is very
unpredictable
6. A baseball player gets a hit every 3rd at bat.
7. Checking the over to see if your cookies are done, when
baking time is known.
1.VR
2.FR
3.VI
4.FI
5.VI
6.FR
7.FI
Sources:
http://windsor.k12.mo.us/hs/?p=1232
http://www.stamfordhigh.org/valentine-fabiano.aspx
http://appsych.mrduez.com/p/notes.html