Operant Conditioning

1. Operant Conditioning • A type of learning in which behavior is strengthened if followed by reinforcement or diminished if followed by punishment.

2. BOO/YEAH DEMO! • Reinforcement is the Yeah! • Punishment is the Boo!

3. Classical v. Operant • They both use acquisition, discrimination, SR, generalization and extinction. • Classical Conditioning is automatic (respondent behavior). Dogs automatically salivate over meat, then bell- no thinking involved. • Operant Conditioning involves behavior where one can influence their environment with behaviors which have consequences (operant behavior).

4. Is the organism learning associations between events that it doesn’t control? Is the organism learning associations between its behavior and resulting events? Classical Conditioning Operant Conditioning

5. Edward Thorndike • Law of Effect: rewarded behavior is likely to recur. • SR connection

6. Thorndike • Instrumental Conditioning • Consequence which could be +/- would shape future responses • Cat Puzzle Boxes

7. B.F. Skinner

8. Shaping or Successive Approximations • A procedure in Operant Conditioning in which reinforcers guide behavior closer and closer towards a goal.

9. Operant Conditioning ChamberSkinner Box Conditioning

10. Reinforcer • Any event that STRENGTHENS the behavior it follows. Two Types of Reinforcement: Positive and Negative

11. Positive Reinforcement • Strengthens a response by presenting a stimulus after a response.

12. Chaining • Taught to perform a series of behaviors in succession in order to get a reward • Ex.—My kids must shower, brush their teeth and floss, wash their face, and comb their hair before they can read books at night!

13. Negative Reinforcement • Strengthens a response by reducing or removing an aversive stimulus.

14. Negative Reinforcement • Escape Learning— terminate an aversive stimulus • Ex.—Kid acts bad to get kicked out of class • Avoidance Learning— avoid an aversive stimulus all together • Ex.—Kid skips class to avoid teacher she does not like

15. Punishment • An event that DECREASES the behavior that it follows. Does punishment work?

16. Two Types of Punishment • Positive Punishment • Adding something unpleasant • Ex.--Spanking • Negative Punishment or Omission Training • Taking away something pleasant • Ex.—Taking car away for bad grades

17. Review Sheet • Do the first 10 on the sheet • Complete the rest for HW. • Turn in next class.

18. Primary Reinforcer • An innately reinforcing stimulus

19. Conditioned (Secondary) Reinforcer • A stimulus that gains it reinforcing power through its association with a primary reinforcer. • Money is also a GENERALIZED REINFORCER!

20. Token Economy • Giving a “token” when someone does the correct behavior. • After earning so many “tokens”, the person can trade them in for a reward. • Tokens would be generalized reinforcers. • Ex.—Treasure Chest in Kindergarten • Ex.—Reinforcement in class today!

21. Premack Principle • Reinforcing properties depend on the individual. • Ex.—To reinforce my son, I would take him to get Sushi, but that would be punishment for my daughter. • Ex.—To reinforce my daughter, I would take her shopping, but that would be punishment for my son.

22. Do these terms apply to Operant Conditioning too? • Acquisition • Extinction • Spontaneous Recovery • Generalization • Discrimination The answer is YES! They do. Work quickly in partners to explain how.

23. Reinforcement Schedules

24. Continuous Reinforcement • Reinforcing the desired response every time it occurs. Quick Acquisition Quick Extinction

25. Partial Reinforcement • Reinforcing a response only part of the time. • The acquisition process is slower. • Greater resistance to extinction.

26. Variable-ratio Schedule • A schedule of reinforcement that reinforces a response after an unpredictable number of responses. Example: I give Homer a donut at random times when he says “DOH!!!”

27. Fixed-ratio Schedules • A schedule that reinforces a response only after a specified number of responses. Example: I give cookie monster a cookie every FIVE times he sings “C is for cookie”.

28. Fixed-interval Schedule • A schedule of reinforcement that reinforces a response only after a specified time has elapsed. Example: I give Bart a Butterfinger every ten minutes after he moons someone.

29. Variable-interval Schedule • A schedule of reinforcement that reinforces a response at unpredictabletime intervals. Pop Quizzes

30. Complete the last page in the worksheet!