Learning – Operant Conditioning
AP Psychology
Chapter 6
Operant Conditioning
 Operant Conditioning
 type of learning in which behavior is strengthened if
followed by reinforcement or diminished if followed by
punishment
 Edward Thorndike
 Puzzle Box – behaviors that resulted in escape and the
acquisition of food would be “stamped in” and
displayed in future similar situations.
 Law of Effect
 Thorndike’s principle that behaviors followed by
favorable consequences become more likely, and
behaviors followed by unfavorable consequences
become less likely
Puzzle Box
Operant Conditioning
 B.F. Skinner (1904-1990)
 elaborated Thorndike’s Law of Effect
 coined the term operant conditioning
 Skinner Box
 Punishment and reinforcement
 chamber with a bar or key that an animal
manipulates to obtain a food or water reinforcer
 contains devices to record responses
Skinner Box
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRS80DVvrg
Operant Conditioning
• Reinforcer – Any event that strengthens the
behavior it follows
• Positive Reinforcement – the addition of
something pleasant (food)
• Negative Reinforcement – the removal of
something unpleasant (termination of a loud
noise or shock)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mt4N
9GSBoMI
Operant Conditioning
Operant Conditioning - Punishment
• Punishment – anything that makes behavior less
likely
▫ Positive Punishment – the addition of something
unpleasant (extra chores, spanking)
▫ Negative Punishment (omission training) – the
removal of something pleasant (take away cell
phone)
Problems with Punishment
• Does not “erase” an undesirable
habit; merely suppresses it.
• Sometimes produces unwanted
side effects.
• Often ineffective unless given
immediately after the response
and each time the response is
made.
• Can become aggression, even
abuse, if administered in anger.
• Children are more likely to
behave aggressively if frequently
punished.
• Signals what is inappropriate
behavior but does not specify
correct alternative behavior.
Guidelines for Effective Punishment
• Specify why punishment
is being given.
• Without being abusive,
punishment should be
immediate and noticeable
enough to eliminate the
undesirable behavior.
• Identify and reinforce
more appropriate
behaviors.
Skinner Squares
Positive Reinforcement
•Presenting an appetitive stimulus
•Behavior increases
Positive Punishment
•Presenting an aversive stimulus
•Behavior decreases
•Ex: Every time Jimmy gets an A
on his report card, his parents
give him $20.
•Ex: Every time Jimmy talks in
class, he gets detention; therefore,
he no longer speaks out of turn in
class.
Negative Punishment (Omission)
•Removing an appetitive stimulus
•Behavior decreases
Negative Reinforcement
•Removing an aversive stimulus
•Behavior increases
•Ex: Every time Jimmy stays out
past his curfew, his parents take
away his car; therefore, he no
longer stays out past his curfew.
•Ex: Every time Jimmy has a
headache, he takes an aspirin.
When his headache goes away, he
is more likely to take aspirin in the
future.
Reinforcement Schedules
• Continuous Reinforcement – reinforcement that
occurs after every desired behavior is exhibited
▫ Necessary during acquisition
▫ Subject learns to expect the reinforcement (ie:
spoiling a child)
• Partial Reinforcement – reinforcement for the
desired behavior is given occasionally
▫ Elicits a greater number of desired responses in
the long term because it is unknown when the
reinforcement will take place
 Target behavior is less prone to extinction.
Reinforcement Schedules
• Fixed-Ratio (FR) – reinforcement is provided
after a set number of the correct responses are
performed
• Variable-Ratio (VR) – reinforcement is provided
after a varying number of correct behaviors
• Fixed-Interval (FI) – reinforcement is provided
for the first desired response after a set amount of
time has elapsed
• Variable-Interval (VI) – reinforcement is
provided after the first desired response after a
varying amount of time has elapsed
Applications of Operant Conditioning
• Behavior modification – a change in a
previous behavior to a newly desired behavior
• Token economy – an environment that
reinforces desirable behavior by rewarding the
behavior with secondary reinforcers that can be
exchanged for other reinforcers
Cognitive Learning
• Learned helplessness – failure to continue
exerting effort for an outcome because all
previous attempts have failed
• Latent learning – learning that may not be
displayed until a later time – Tolman
• Cognitive maps – mental representations
people rely on to understand complex patterns
Observational Learning
• Acquiring knowledge by watching others
perform a task
• Bandura’s Bobo Doll –
▫ Modeling – imitating or coping behavior that is
directly observed
▫ Examination of the effects of violence displayed in
the media on children
Bobo Doll Experiment
Insight Learning
• Kohler – chimpanzees
▫ Realizing how to suddenly solve a problem
▫ Learning happens due to insight rather than
gradual strengthening of the S-R connection
▫ Solutions are not found until cognitive insights
occur