Download Operant Conditioning I. Operant Conditioning A. Basic premise

Operant Conditioning
I. Operant Conditioning
A. Basic premise : behavior that is rewarded is
more likely to be repeated; that which is not
rewarded is not
1. History: began with Thorndyke (1898)
B. Basic Phenomena:
1. Generalization and Discrimination
a. Generalization
b. Discrimination
2. Shaping: successive approximations are
reinforced until the desired behavior is
obtained
a. This is main process of training pets
3. Chaining: chain together a series of
rewarded behaviors to produce complex
behaviors
4. Superstitious behavior
(AKA Adventitious Learning): we seem to
be prepared to think that our actions have
consequences
5. Gradient of Reinforcement: Strength of
reinforcement is inversely proportional to
Time between Response and reinforcement
C. Schedules of reinforcement (Rxfx)
1. Continuous vs partial rxfx
a. Effects:
1. Continuous is fastest to teach;
but behavior extinguishes most
quickly
2. Partial is more resistant to
extinction
b. The best overall teaching method
may be to switch from continuous to
partial: Stretching the schedule of rxfx
2. Four types of partial rxfx schedules
a. Interval schedules: reward given for
first response that occurs after a certain
length of time
1. Fixed Interval (FI): interval is
always same between rxfx
2. Variable Interval (VI): interval
length varies
b. Ratio Schedules: reward given for
the first response that occurs after a
certain number of unrewarded
responses have preceded it
1. Fixed ratio (FR): Ratio always
same
2. Variable ratio (VR): Ratio varies
c. Synopsis of Schedules
1. variable rxfx = smooth rates of
responding
2. fixed rxfx = "scalloping"
D. Types of reinforcers
1. Positive Rxfx: REWARD!!!
2. Negative Rxfx: Termination of an
aversive condition. NOT PUNISHMENT!
3. Punishment: Presentation of an aversive
condition
4. NOTE:
1. positive and negative rxfx are
used to increase a desirable
behavior
2. punishment is used to decrease
an undesirable behavior
II. Avoidance learning (Phobias) as combination of
CC and OC
A. CC: Generalization & Extinction in Simple
Phobias
B. OC: Avoiding the dogs is reinforcing;
negative rxfx
Memory
I. Overview & misconceptions
II. Ways to conceptualize memory
A. Structural categorizations
1. By length of time material stays in
memory
a. Sensory Store
b. Short-Term Memory
c. Long-Term Memory
2. By type of information
a. Episodic
b. Semantic systems
c. Procedural
d. Alternatively
1. Explicit
2. Implicit
B. Stage of processing
1. Encoding
2. Storage
3. Retrieval
III. Memory systems based upon time
material stays in memory
A. Sensory Store: iconic, echoic
B. Short-Term Memory (STM)
1. Interference & Maintenance
rehearsal
2. Serial position effects
C. Long term Memory (LTM):
1. Only a subset of information
that makes it to STM actually
gets transferred into LTM
2. Interference
a. Retroactive interference
b. Proactive interference
IV. By type of information
A. Episodic: memory for events
1. Disrupted in amnesia
2. Types:
a. Full
b. Partial
3. Head injury will also disrupt
B. Semantic: Not forgotten in amnesias
C. Procedural
1. Learn a skill; resilient to forgetting
2. Preserved in many forms of
amnesia
3. Example
D. Alternatively, explicit, implicit;
1. Incidental vs intentional learning
2. Dissociation of Explicit and
Implicit Memory in Amnesia
E. Perceptual Vs. Conceptual
V. Stage of processing
A. Encoding: getting information into
memory
1. What is encoded
2. Contextual cues
3. Mood/state dependent memory is
result of contextual cues
B. Storage
1. ECT
2. Malleability over time: storage is
vulnerable
C. Retrieval
1. Cues aid retrieval
2. Recognition is easier than recall
because cues are already provided
VI. A few assorted concepts
A. Anterograde vs retrograde amnesia
B. Improving memory
1. Method of loci
2. Mnemonics