Download Learning and Behavior: Operant Conditioning

Learning and
Behavior:
Operant Conditioning
Edward Thorndike (1874-1949)
Introduced experimental
method
Was interested in animal
learning.
Put animals in boxes and
watched how long it took them
to escape
Thorndike’s Puzzle Boxes
Cat in box
Thorndike’s law of effect
Consequences of an act determine whether it
will be repeated in the future
Behaviors followed by positive consequences are
more likely to be repeated
Behaviors followed by negative consequences are
less likely to be repeated
B. F. (Fred)
Skinner
(1904- 1990)
Highly creative &
imaginative maverick
Systematized prior work
Great inventor
Skinner box
Cumulative recorder
Skinner box
Rat
Operant Conditioning
Behavior operating on the
environment
Learning
about the consequences of behavior:
IF-THEN relations between behavior and a
stimulus that comes after it
Operant Behavior
Examples of
IF-THEN
relations
IF
the key is
pressed,
THEN food
is presented.
Operant Behavior
IF
the key is turned,
THEN the car starts.
Operant Behavior
IF
the dog’s tail is
pulled, THEN the dog
bites.
Operant Conditioning
Reinforcement
Any stimulus that increases behavior
Punishment
Any stimulus that decreases behavior
Operant Conditioning
Reinforcement & Punishment
Increases
Behavior
Present
Stimulus +
Remove
Stimulus
-
Decreases
Behavior
Positive
Reinforcement
(give money)
Negative
Reinforcement
(take away
chores)
Positive
Punishment
(give chores)
Negative
Punishment
(take away money)
Similar consequences affect
behavior differently.
Billy enjoys camping. The last time he camped out,
some older kids snuck up to his tent while he
was sleeping and threw a bucket of cold water on
him. Billy has not camped-out for three weeks.
What is
Camping
the behavior?
Increasing
Decreasing
of Water
What Bucket
is the Consequence?
Adding
Subtracting
Your dog’s barking really upsets you. So every
time she barks a collar you put on her gives
her a shock. She stops barking.
What is
Camping
the behavior?
Decreasing
Increasing
What Bucket
is the Consequence?
of Water
Adding
Subtracting
Your dog hates strangers, so she barks at them.
This makes them leave. Her barking in the
presence of strangers increases.
What is
Camping
the behavior?
Increasing
Decreasing
What Bucket
is the Consequence?
of Water
Adding
Subtracting
Your mother is nagging you to clean the house. After a
while you decide to clean the house so that you don’t
have to listen to her anymore. In the future you
decided to clean the house more often to avoid her
nagging.
What is
Camping
the behavior?
Increasing
Decreasing
What Bucket
is the Consequence?
of Water
Adding
Subtracting
Your dog jumps on you to get attention. Every
time the dog jumps on you, you turn your
back or leave the room. The dog’s jumping up
behavior decreases.
What is
Camping
the behavior?
Decreasing
Increasing
What Bucket
is the Consequence?
of Water
Adding
Subtracting
Shaping
Desired behavior is not always available to be
reinforced
So reinforce closer & closer approximations to
desired behavior
Elephant training
What are reinforcers?
Primary reinforcers
Food if hungry
Fluid if thirsty
Shelter
Sex
Secondary reinforcers
Things that are often linked with primary
reinforcers acquire the ability to act as reinforcers
themselves
Using Reinforcement to Boost Job
Performance
All salesclerks were
observed for a 20-day
baseline period.
Then, half were given cash
bonuses for good
performance, half were
not.
The ones given cash
bonuses improved job
performance.
Schedules of Reinforcement
But does every response need to receive a
reinforcer to increase the behavior?
What happens if you only reinforce some of the
behavior?
OR you reinforce the behavior every 10
minutes?
Types of Schedules
Four basic schedule types:
Fixed
Ratio (FR)
Variable
Fixed
Ratio (VR)
Interval (FI)
Variable
Interval (VR)
Types of Schedules
Ratio:
Reinforcement
depends on certain number
of responses
Interval:
Reinforcement
depends on the first
response after a certain period of time
from the last reinforcer
Types of Schedules
Fixed:
Requirements
for reinforcement do not
change from one reinforcer to the next
Variable:
Requirements
for reinforcement vary
from one reinforcer to the next
Fixed-Ratio (FR) Schedules
Real-life example: piecework
Variable-Ratio (VR) Schedules
Real-life example: slot machines
Fixed-Interval (FI) Schedules
Real-life example: checking clock
Variable-Interval (VI) Schedules
Real-life example: waiting for the big wave
Cindy is practicing her golf putting. On the average,
it takes her four putts before the ball goes in the hole.
This is an example of a _________ schedule of
reinforcement
A. Fixed ratio
B. Variable ratio
C. Fixed interval
D. Variable interval
Francis sells jewelry to a local gift shop. Each time he
completes 10 pairs of earrings, the shopkeeper pays him
for them. This is an example of a
schedule of
reinforcement.
A. Fixed ratio
B. Variable ratio
C. Fixed interval
D. Variable interval
Sandra’s mail is delivered every day at 10:00. She checks
her mailbox several times each morning, but only finds
mail the first time she checks after 10:00. This is an
example of a
schedule of reinforcement
A. Fixed ratio
B. Variable ratio
C. Fixed interval
D. Variable interval
Paula is an eager third-grader, and loves to be called on
by her teacher. Her teacher calls on her approximately
once each period, although Paula is never sure when her
turn will come. This is an example of a
schedule
of reinforcement
A. Fixed ratio
B. Variable ratio
C. Fixed interval
D. Variable interval
Difference between operant and
classical conditioning
Classical Conditioning
Stimulus
Behavior
Difference between operant and
classical conditioning
Operant Conditioning
Stimulus
Behavior
What did we learn?
History.
Operant conditioning and how it is different
from classical conditioning.
Shaping
Difference between reinforcement and
punishment.
Types of reinforcers.
Differences between the schedules of
reinforcement.