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Mastering Operant Conditioning: B.F. Skinner's Techniques

Learn about operant conditioning, reinforcement, punishment, shaping behavior, and Skinner's techniques. Explore concepts like positive and negative reinforcement, punishment types, and alternative methods. Understand reinforcement schedules and its impact.

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Mastering Operant Conditioning: B.F. Skinner's Techniques

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  1. Chapter 8 pt. 2: Operant Conditioning and Observational Learning B.F. SKINNER

  2. Type of Learning 2: Operant Conditioning • Operant Conditioning: type of learning in which behavior is strengthened by reinforcement or weakened by punishment….related to consequences. • Operant Conditioning builds on Thorndike’s principle of Law of Effect: rewarded behavior is likely to recur.

  3. Operant vs. Classical Conditioning • Respondent Behavior:behavior that occurs as an automatic response to some stimulus. Occurs in classical conditioning. • Ex: salivating to meat. • Operant Behavior:behavior that operates on the environment, producing consequences. • Ex: Stealing and getting arrested may discourage the crime.

  4. King of Operant Conditioning • B.F. Skinner: developed most operant conditioning techniques. • Skinner Box (Operant Chamber): major tool used in operant conditioning research. Chamber containing a bar or key that an animal can manipulate to obtain reinforcement.

  5. Skinner Box

  6. Shaping How would you have trained this cat to become potty trained? • Shaping refers to an operant conditioning technique in which reinforcers guide behavior closer and closer towards a desired goal. • Uses successive approximations.

  7. Terms • Reinforcement- Increases a behavior • Punishment- Decreases a behavior • Negative- takes away a stimuli • Positive-Adds a stimuli • Need to isolate the behavior first

  8. Reinforcement • All Reinforcement INCREASE THE LIKELYHOOD that a particular behavior will occur. • Positive Reinforcement:encourages a certain behavior by offering a positive stimulus (reward). • Getting an A

  9. Negative Reinforcement IS NOT Punishment • Negative Reinforcementalso ENCOURAGES a particular behavior by removing an aversive (negative) stimulus. • Advil • Punishment:DISCOURAGES a particular behavior by usually adding an aversive stimulus.

  10. Punishment decreases a behavior Positive Punishment- adds stimuli to decrease the behavior Spanking Ticket Negative Punishment- taking away stimuli to decrease the behavior Timeout Punishment

  11. Good if it comes with reasoning Increases aggression Creates fear Creates a feeling of helplessness Does not guide or model correct behavior Main Point- swift and sure punishment decreases behavior Criticisms of Punishment?

  12. Effective Punishment – Do Not Write • Should be swift and brief – don’t wait too long after the undesired behavior to punish • CONSISTENT – punish EVERY time undesired behavior occurs; when it fails to occur the effect can be rewarding • Target the behavior, not the person • Don’t send mixed messages – ex: spanking a child for hitting his/her sibling • Negative punishment (taking away privileges) works better than positive punishment (adding pain)

  13. ALTERNATIVES TO PUNISHMENTDo not Write • Extinction – a behavior will usually diminish if the reward goes away • Temper tantrums • Premack principle – a more preferred activity can be used to reinforce a less preferred activity • Prompting & Shaping Behavior

  14. Examples – Positive Punishment , Positive Ren., Neg. Rein, Neg. Punishment. • Touching a burning hot stove • When your parents take away a misbehaving teen’s car keys • The police officer gives you a speeding ticket • Your mom gives you allowance for cleaning your room • Your teacher says if you behave in class you won’t have any homework

  15. Types of Reinforcers • Primary Reinforcer: an innately reinforcing stimulus, such as one that satisfies a biological need. • Ex: Food, sex. • Conditioned Reinforcer (Secondary Reinforcer): reinforcer that you have to learn usually through its association with a primary reinforcer. • Ex: Money, Applause, lever in skinner box.

  16. Types of Reinforcement • Continuous Reinforcement: reinforcing the desired behavior everytime it occurs. • Learning happens very quickly. • Extinction happens very quickly if reinforcement is stopped. • Partial (Intermittent) Reinforcement:reinforcing a desired behavior only part of the time. • Learning takes longer (slower acquisition) • TAKES LONGER for extinction to occur.

  17. Immediate vs. Delayed Reinforcement • In rats, if you delay reinforcement, virtually no learning will occur. • Although humans do recognize delayed reinforcement, immediate gratification sometimes move us into risky behavior. • EX: smoking, drinking, unprotected sex.

  18. Reinforcement Schedules CONCEPTS within Schedules • Fixed means the same/constant. • Variable means changes. • Ratiorefers to responses. • Interval refers to time.

  19. Reinforcement Schedules • Fixed Ratio:A response is reinforced only after a specified number of responses. • Ex: Paid $1 for every 20 fruits you pick. • Work hardest under this schedule.

  20. Reinforcement Schedules • Variable-Ratio:a response is reinforced after an unpredictable amount of responses. • Ex:Slot machine payoff. • Produces high rate of response since reinforcement increases with number of responses.

  21. Reinforcement Schedules • Fixed-Interval: reinforces a response after a specified time has passed. • Ex: Checking oven when meal timer is about up. • High responses near time elapse.

  22. Reinforcement Schedules • Variable-Interval: response is reinforced at unpredictable time intervals. • Ex: Pop Quiz • Responses are steady throughout….study frequently cause you don’t know when quiz is.

  23. Reinforcement Schedule Patterns

  24. Warm UpPick up on the overhead- page 7

  25. Cognition’s Effect on Operant Conditioning • Cognitive map: a mental representation of one’s environment that is developed without the aid of reinforcement. • Latent learning: learning that occurs (like cognitive map) that is not apparent until there is an incentive to justify it. • Ex:rats that were not reinforced while in a maze could navigate it just as fast when there was a reward put at the end.

  26. Cognition’s Effect on Operant Conditioning • Overjustification Effect:the effect of promising a reward for something someone already likes to do may hamper enjoyment of the activity. • May cognitively change behavior from intrinsic motivation to focus on reward (extrinsic).

  27. Biological Predispositions • Just like classical conditioning, animals more easily learn behaviors that are natural or conducive to survival during operant conditioning.

  28. Terms from last time applied to Operant Conditioning • Acquisition:when behavior is first strengthened by a reinforcer. • Extinction:behavior decreases because a behavior is no longer reinforced. • Temper tantrums • Spontaneous Recovery: reappearance of behavior after rest period when no longer reinforced.

  29. Monkey See, Monkey Do: Observational Learning • Observational learning describes process of learning by observing others. • Modeling is an example of observational learning by which we imitate a specific behavior.

  30. Learning by Observation • Mirror Neurons- - provide the neural basis for observational learning • Seeing or actually doing a task activate the same part of the brain • Help children learn to read and speak • Mimic lips and tongue

  31. Bandura’s Experiment on Modeling • Experiment that showed children could easily learn through observational learning modeling. • Frustrated children go to beat on the clown after seeing adult model do the same. • Reinforcements and punishments may influence what we imitate

  32. Applications of Observational learning Positive Observational Learning • Prosocial – positive, helpful behaviors • Gandhi and MLK • “Do As I say , not as I Do” – bad parenting

  33. Television and Observational learning 3 violent acts per hour of TV programming during prime time 18 per hour on children’s Saturday morning programming Most violent interactions do not show the victim’s pain Applications of Observational learning

  34. Correlation studies do link violence–viewing with violent behavior More violent TV= more at risk for aggression and crime US homicide rates doubled between 1957-1974- same pattern in South Africa Power Rangers Television and Observational learning

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