1 / 30

OPERANT CONDITIONING

OPERANT CONDITIONING. DEF: a form of learning in which responses come to be controlled by their consequences. THORNDIKE’S LAW OF EFFECT. Edward L. Thorndike Studied instrumental learning This is the foundation of operant conditioning Cat studies. LAW OF EFFECT.

alina
Download Presentation

OPERANT CONDITIONING

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. OPERANT CONDITIONING DEF: a form of learning in which responses come to be controlled by their consequences

  2. THORNDIKE’S LAW OF EFFECT • Edward L. Thorndike • Studied instrumental learning • This is the foundation of operant conditioning • Cat studies

  3. LAW OF EFFECT • DEF: if a response in the presence of a stimulus leads to a satisfying effects, the association between the stimulus and the response is strengthened • The cornerstone of B.F. Skinner’s theory

  4. SKINNER’S DEMONSTRATION • Skinner showed that organisms tend to repeat those responses that are followed by favorable consequences • Reinforcement: occurs when an event following a response increases an organism’s tendency to make that response

  5. TERMINOLOGY • Operant chamber: “Skinner Box”, a small enclosure in which an animal can make a specific response that is recorded while the consequences of the response are systematically controlled • Used to control Reinforcement contingencies: rules that determine whether response lead to the presentation of reinforcers

  6. OPERANT CONDITIONING • Key dependent variable is subject’s response rate over time • Cumulative recorder: creates a graphic record of responding and reinforcement in a Skinner box as a function of time

  7. BASIC PROCESSES OF OPERANT CONDITIONING • Shaping: the reinforcement of closer and closer approximations of a desired response • Important in acquisition • Necessary when an organism does not emit the desired response

  8. BASIC PROCESSES OF OPERANT CONDITIONING • Extinction: weakening and disappearance of a response tendency b/c the response is no longer followed by a reinforcer • Resistance to extinction: when an organism continues to make a response after delivery of the reinforcer for it has been terminated

  9. DISCRIMINATIVE STIMULI • DEF: cues that influence operant behavior by indicating the probable consequences of a response • Regulate operant behavior

  10. STIMULUS GENERALIZATION/DISCRIMINATION • Generalization: Responding to a new stimulus as if it were the original • Stimulus discrimination: decrease in response to a new stimulus that resembles the original

  11. REINFORCEMENT • Strengthening of a response tendency • Defined after the fact, in terms of effect on behavior • Reinforcement is subjective

  12. DELAYED REINFORCEMENT • Favorable outcomes are more likely to strengthen a response if the outcome follows immediately

  13. CONDITIONED REINFORCEMENT • Primary reinforcers: events that are inherently reinforcing b/c they satisfy biological needs • Secondary (conditioned) reinforcers: events that acquire reinforcing qualities by being associated w/primary reinforcers

  14. INTERMITTENT REINFORCEMENT: EFFECTS OF BASIC SCHEDULES • Schedule of reinforcement: determines which occurrences of a specific response result in the presentation of a reinforcer

  15. INTERMITTENT REINFORCEMENT • Continuous reinforcement: occurs when every instance of a designated response is reinforced • Intermittent, partial, reinforcement: occurs when a designated response is reinforced only some of the time • Intermittent makes a response more resistant to extinction • There are 4 types of intermittent reinforcement…

  16. FIXED-RATIO (fr) SCHEDULE • Ratio schedules require the organism to make a response a certain amount of times to gain a reinforcer • FR Schedule: the reinforcer is given after a fixed number of nonreinforced responses

  17. VARIABLE-RATIO (VR) SCHEDULE • The reinforcer is given after a variable number of nonreinforced responses

  18. FIXED-INTERVAL (fi) SCHEDULE • Interval schedules require a time period to pass btwn presentation of reinforcers • FI Schedule: the reinforcer is given for the 1st response that occurs after a fixed time interval has elapsed

  19. VARIABLE-INTERVAL (vi) SCHEDULE • The reinforcer is given for the 1st response after a variable time interval has elapsed • Interval length depends on a predetermined avg.

  20. RATIO vs. interval • Ratio schedules produce more rapid responding • Variable schedules tend to generate steadier response rates and greater resistance to extinction

  21. CONCURRENT SCHEDULES OF REINFORCEMENT • Concurrent schedules of reinforcement: consist of 2 or more reinforcement schedules that operate simultaneously and independently, each for a different response

  22. MATCHING LAW • States that under concurrent schedules of reinforcement, organisms’ relative rate of responding to each alternative tends to match each alternative’s relative rate of reinforcement • Quality of reinforcement earned also effects response rate • Assumes organisms are working to maximize their overall reinforcement

  23. MATCHING AND FORAGING • Optimal foraging theory: food seeking behaviors of many animals maximize the nutrition gained in relation to the energy expended to locate, secure, and consume various foods

  24. POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT • Occurs when a response is strengthened b/c it is followed by the presentation of a rewarding stimulus

  25. NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENT • Occurs when a response is strengthened b/c it is followed by the removal of an aversive stimulus • Don’t be confused by word negative • Many everyday behaviors effected by negative reinforcement

  26. ESCAPE LEARNING • Def: an organism acquires a response that decreases or ends some aversive stimulation • Shuttle box

  27. AVOIDANCE LEARNING • DEF: an organism acquires a response that prevents some aversive stimulation from occurring • Avoidance learning responses are very resistant to extinction

  28. TWO-PROCESS THEORY OF AVOIDANCE • Avoidance begins b/c classical conditioning creates a conditioned fear • Avoidance is maintained by operant conditioning • Avoidance response is strengthened through negative reinforcement

  29. PUNISHMENT: CONSEQUENCES THAT WEAKEN RESPONSES • Punishment occurs when an event following a response weakens the tendency to make that response • NOT NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENT!!!

  30. PUNISHMENT • Can have side effects: • General suppression of behavioral activity • Trigger strong emotional responses • Physical punishment often leads to aggressive behavior • More effective to reinforce desirable behavior than punish undesirable behavior

More Related