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Operant Conditioning

Operant Conditioning. The Law of Effect. Thorndike (1911): Animal Intelligence Experimented with cats in a puzzle box Put cats in the box Cats had to figure out how to pull/push/move lever to get out; when out got reward The cats got faster and faster with each trial

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Operant Conditioning

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  1. Operant Conditioning

  2. The Law of Effect • Thorndike (1911): Animal Intelligence • Experimented with cats in a puzzle box • Put cats in the box • Cats had to figure out how to pull/push/move lever to get out; when out got reward • The cats got faster and faster with each trial • Law of Effect emerged from this research: • When a response is followed by a satisfying state of affairs, that response will increase in frequency.

  3. E.L. Thorndike 1874-1949

  4. Skinner’s version of Law of Effect • Had two problems with Thorndike’s law: • Defining “satisfying state of affairs” • Defining “increase” in behavior • Rewrote the law to be more specific: • Used words reinforcer and punisher • Idea of reinforcer is strengthening of relation between a R and Sr • Now defined reinforcement and punishment: • A reinforcer is any stimulus which increases the probability of a response when delivered contingently • A punisher is any stimulus which decreases the probability of a response when delivered contingently • Also noted could deliver reinforcers and punishers in TWO ways: • Add something: positive • Take away something: negative

  5. Burris Fredric Skinner

  6. Skinner box: Pigeon pecks or rat bar presses to receive reinforcers

  7. Reinforcers vs. PunishersPositive vs. Negative • Reinforcer = rate of response INCREASES • Punisher = rate of response DECREASES • Positive: something is ADDED to environment • Negative: something is TAKEN AWAY from environment • Can make a 4x4 contingency table

  8. Reinforcement Punishment PositivePositive Reinforcement (Positive) Punishment Add make bed-->10cent hit sister->spanked Stimulus Negative Negative Reinforcement Negative Punishment Remove make bed-> Mom stops hit sister->lose TV Stimulus nagging

  9. Parameters or Characteristics of Operant Behavior • Strength of the response: • With each pairing of the R and Sr/P, the response-contingency is strengthened • The learning curve is • Monotonically ascending • Has an asymptote • There is a maximum amount of responding the organism can make

  10. Parameters or Characteristics of Operant Behavior • Extinction of the response: • Remove the R Sr or RP contingency • Now the R  0 • Different characteristics than with classical conditioning: • Animal increases behavior immediately after the extinction begins: TRANSIENT INCREASE • Animal shows extinction-induced aggression! • Why?

  11. More parameters: • Generalization can occur: • Operant response may occur in situations similar to the one in which originally trained • Can learn to behavior in many similar settings • Discrimination can occur • Operant response can be trained to very specific stimuli • Only exhibit response under specific situations • Can use a cue to teach animal: • S+ or SD : contingency in place • S- or S : contingency not in place • Thus: SD: RSr

  12. Several ways to use Operant Conditioning • Discrete Trial Procedures: • Has a set beginning and end • a trial • The experimenter controls the rate of behavior and reinforcement • Free operant procedures • Session has a start and end • Organism can make as many responses as ‘wants” in session • Organism controls how many reinforcers earned (according to programmed schedule) • Organism controls rate of responding: R’s/min

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