Download Operant Conditioning

Operant Conditioning
Classical vs. operant
• Classical: learning that occurs with reflexive,
involuntary behavior
• Operant: learning that applies to voluntary
behavior; rewards and punishments
Thorndike’s Law of Effect
• If an action is followed by a pleasurable
consequence, it will tend to be repeated.
• If an action is followed by an unpleasant
experience, it will tend not to be repeated.
B. F. Skinner
• Voluntary behavior is what people and animals
do to operate the world… operant conditioning
• Voluntary behavior = operant behavior
• Learning is what happens after the response-the
consequence.
• Puzzle box
Reinforcement
• “What’s in it for me?”
• Reinforcers: items or events that when
following a response will strengthen it
– Primary Reinforcers: satisfies basic needs (hunger,
thirst, touch)
– Secondary Reinforcers: money, toys
Big Bang Theory
• Reinforcements:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mt4N9GS
BoMI
Corporal punishment is an effective
tool for teaching children
• 3 reasons to support each
• Reinforcer: strengthens response
• Punishment: weakens response
• Think of cases in your own life when
punishment worked effectively and other
cases when it did not?
• Why did it work in some situations and not in
others?
Different types of reinforcement
• Positive reinforcement: the addition of a
pleasurable response
– After you execute a turn during a skiing lesson, your
instructor shouts out, "Great job!”
– A student gets a good grade and receives a hug from a
parent.
• Negative reinforcement: the elimination of
something negative
– The noise outside a child’s bedroom window is
preventing the child from sleeping. The child removes
the unpleasant stimulus (the loud noise) by wearing
headphones.
2 kinds of punishment
Punishment weakens responses
• Positive punishment: something unpleasant is
added to the situation
– Spanking (making sure you don’t do the wrong behavior
again”)
• Negative punishment: something unpleasant is
removed from the situation
– Losing the privilege of driving because you got into too
many accidents
– Losing grade points on an assignment because it was
turned in late
• Fixed interval schedule
• Variable interval schedule
1,2,3 Action! Commerical
• Create an advertisement that you will present
to the class.
• Your advertisement
• Explain why the following scenario is an
example of operant conditioning. Use proper
terminology in your explanation.
• Your bright cat has learned that your presence
in the kitchen is associated with food. Your cat
has also learned that he can encourage your
presence in the kitchen on Saturday mornings
by standing on your chest and meowing (when
you are obviously trying to sleep). You decide
to get up and feed the cat to shut it up, but the
problem only gets worse on subsequent
weekends.