Unit 4: Learning
“Operant Conditioning”
Behaviorism
To a Behaviorist: Everything you
know, everything you are is the result
of human behavior.
Psychology is the study of
behavior, not of the mind!
Picked up steam in the late 1960s and
during the 1970s. A reaction to the
non-scientific work of Freud.
Edward Thorndike
Law of Effect: rewarded
behavior is likely to be
repeated.
Studied at cats inside a ‘puzzle box’ found that a well-practiced cat will find the
way out.
If an action brings an reward,
Thorndike believed that that
action becomes stamped into
the mind.
Behavior changes because of
the consequences of that
behavior.
Previous theories had emphasized
practice or repetition.
Thorndike gave equal consideration
to the effects of reward or
punishment, success or failure, &
satisfaction or annoyance on the
learner.
Thorndike’s Puzzle Box
Classical vs. Operant
They both use acquisition, discrimination,
S-R, generalization & extinction.
Classical Conditioning:
automatic (respondent behavior).
Ex.) Your dog gets sick & requires several
painful trips to the vet. Now he hides every time
he hears you rattle your keys. Automatic.
Your cat is excited to eat because he knows
that as soon as you get home, he gets fed.
Operant Conditioning: behavior
where one can influence their
environment with behaviors which
have consequences (operant
behavior).
Ex.) Teacher comments on test.
Child working on homework, if completed can
play their Xbox. If not completed, may lose play
time.
Operant Conditioning
A type of learning in which behavior is
strengthened if followed by
reinforcement or diminished if followed
by punishment
in rats:
★
★
★
★
trial and error learning
allows acquisition of motor programs that are not instinctive
behavior shaped by rewards
develops as a result of the association of reinforcement with
a particular response
★ on a proportion of occasions
Trial & Error---------------->Trial & Reward---------->Operant Conditioning
Operant Response
- Reinforcement -
Learned Behavior
Operant Conditioning
Overview
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drnnulHw5CM
B.F. Skinner
Instead of antecedents of
behavior (what comes before)
a new focus on
consequences of behavior.
BF Skinner argued that, CC did not
explain complex behavior.
2 categories of consequences:
Reinforcement & 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 Chamber
YouTube: Big Bang Theory - Operant Conditioning
Shaping
A procedure in Operant Conditioning
- reinforces & guides behavior closer
and closer towards a goal.
Reinforcers guide behavior, step-by-step. Closer and
closer to the target behavior through successive
approximations.
“Baby Steps”
Reinforcers
Any event that STRENGTHENS the behavior it
follows. (Increases likelihood of behavior repeating)
There are + and – reinforcers.
+ Positive Reinforcers: Strengthens a
response by presenting a stimulus after a
response.
- Negative Reinforcers: Strengthens a
response by reducing or removing an aversive
stimulus.
Positive Reinforcement
Strengthens a response by presenting a
stimulus after a response.
$$$ Getting Paid!
We may continue to go to work each day
because we receive a paycheck on a
weekly or monthly basis.
***AWARDS***
If we receive awards for writing short
stories, we may be more likely to increase
the frequency of writing short stories.
"PRAISE!"
Receiving praise for our karaoke
performances can increase how often we
sing.
Negative Reinforcement
Strengthens a response by reducing
or removing an aversive stimulus.
Example: Driving in heavy traffic is a negative
condition for most of us. You leave home earlier than
usual one morning, & don't run into heavy traffic.
You leave home earlier again the next morning &
again you avoid heavy traffic. Your behavior of
leaving home earlier is strengthened by the
consequence of the avoidance of heavy traffic.
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, however.
Negative Reinforcement
strengthens a behavior
because a negative condition
is stopped or avoided as a
consequence of the behavior.
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
aka... "punishment by application"
Positive punishment involves
presenting an aversive stimulus after a
behavior as occurred.
For example, when a student talks out
of turn in the middle of class, the
teacher might scold the child for
interrupting her.
Negative Punishment
aka... "punishment by removal"
Negative punishment involves
taking away a desirable stimulus
after a behavior as occurred.
Example: Student talks out of turn
again, the teacher promptly tells the
child that he will have to miss
recess because of his behavior.
Positive or Negative Reinforcement?
Cleaning the house to get rid of the disgusting
mess and/or to stop your mother from nagging
Positive or Negative Reinforcement?
Cleaning the house to get rid of the disgusting mess and/or to stop your mother
from nagging
NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENT
Strengthens a response by reducing or removing an aversive stimulus.
Nagging/Mess as negative reinforcer to cleaning.
Positive or Negative Reinforcement?
Taking aspirin to relieve a headache
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
Positive or Negative Reinforcement?
Listening to your favorite music after studying
for an hour
Positive or Negative Reinforcement?
Listening to your favorite music after studying for an hour
POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT: Strengthens a response by
presenting a stimulus after a response.
Positive or Negative Reinforcement?
Leaving the movie theater if the movie is bad
Positive or Negative Reinforcement? -- Leaving the movie theater if the movie is
bad
Negative Reinforcement: strengthens a behavior because a negative condition is
stopped or avoided as a consequence of the behavior.
Positive or Negative Reinforcement?
Giving in to an argument or to a child or dog’s begging
Positive or Negative Reinforcement?
Giving in to an argument or to a child or dog’s begging
Negative Reinforcement: strengthens a behavior because a
negative condition is stopped or avoided as a consequence
of the behavior.
Negative reinforcement is NOT the same as punishment!
Negative reinforcers, like all reinforcers, increase the frequency of the responses
that they follow.
Punishment, in contrast, decreases the frequency of responses.