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Module 19
Operant
Conditioning
Big Question: Is the organism learning associations
between events that it does not control (classical) OR
is it learning associations between its behavior and
resulting events (operant)
Edward Thorndike (1874-1949)
• Introduced the “Law of Effect”
• Behaviors with favorable consequences
will occur more frequently.
• Behaviors with unfavorable
consequences will occur less frequently.
• Developed into Operant Conditioning
• Created puzzle boxes for research on cats
Thorndike’s Puzzle Box
Operant Conditioning
• A type of learning in which the frequency of
a behavior depends on the consequence that
follows that behavior
• The frequency will
if the consequence
is reinforcing to the subject.
• The frequency will
if the consequence
is not reinforcing to the subject.
B.F. Skinner (1904-1990)
• Developed the fundamental principles
and techniques of operant conditioning.
• Devised ways to apply these principles
in the real world.
• Designed the Skinner
Box. (operant box)
B.F. SKINNER
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGazyH
6fQQ4&feature=related (ping-pong)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl
ayer_embedded&v=drnnulHw5CM
(basketball playing rats)
Reinforcement v Punishment
• Reinforcement - Any
consequence that increases
the likelihood of the
behavior to be repeated.
• Punishment - Any consequence
that decreases the likelihood
of the behavior to be repeated.
I. Reinforcement
A. Types of
Reinforcement
1. Positive Reinforcement
• Anything that increases the likelihood
of a behavior by following it with a
desirable event or state
• The subject receives something they
want
• Will strengthen the behavior
Positive Reinforcement
2. Negative Reinforcement
• Anything that increases the likelihood of a
behavior by following it with the removal of
an undesirable event or state
• Something the subject doesn’t like is
removed
XX
OR
• Will strengthen
the behavior (Definition of Reinforcement)
Negative Reinforcement
Positive/Negative Reinforcement
• Positive
Reinforcement-any
condition that follows
and strengthens a
response.
• Getting a hug
• Receiving a paycheck
• Food, money, sex
• Attention, praise,
smile
• Negative
Reinforcementsubtraction of the
unpleasant stimulus
• Fastening a seatbelt
to turn off beeping.
• Pushing snooze
button will silence
your annoying alarm.
• Nagging to clean
something.
II. Ways of Reinforcement:
A. Primary
v
Secondary
A. 1. Primary Reinforcement
• Something that is naturally reinforcing
• Examples: food, warmth, water, etc.
• The item is reinforcing in and of itself
A. 2. Secondary Reinforcement
• Something that a person has learned to
value or finds rewarding because it is
paired with a primary reinforcer
– Money is a good example
II. Ways of Reinforcement
B. Shaping
• Step by step reinforcement of behaviors
that are more and more similar to the one
you want to occur.
(Progress Reports, etc)
•Technique used to
establish a new
behavior
II. Ways of Reinforcement:
C. Immediate
v
Delayed
C. Immediate/Delayed
Reinforcement
• Immediate reinforcement is more
effective than delayed reinforcementhowever humans will respond to delayed
reinforcement better than animals.
• Ability to delay gratification predicts higher achievement
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mWc1Y2dpmY
• http://www.cc.com/video-clips/g36k7p/the-colbert-reportwalter-mischel
II. Ways of Reinforcement
D. Schedules of
Reinforcement:
1. Continuous
Reinforcement
D. 1. Continuous reinforcement
• A schedule of reinforcement in which a
reward follows every correct response
• Most useful way to establish a behavior.
• The behavior will extinguish quickly
once the reinforcement stops.
D. 2. Partial Reinforcement
• A schedule of reinforcement in which a
reward follows only some correct
responses-initial learning is slower
but there is a greater resistance to
extinction.
• Includes the following types:
– Fixed-interval and variable interval
– Fixed-ratio and variable-ratio
(a) FixedInterval
Schedule
• A partial reinforcement schedule that
rewards only the first correct response
after some defined period of time
• i.e. weekly quiz in a class; monthly pay
check
(a) Variable-Interval
Schedule
• A partial reinforcement
that rewards the first
correct response after an
unpredictable amount
of time
• i.e. “pop” quiz in a
class; fishing
(b) Fixed-Ratio Schedule
• A partial reinforcement schedule that
rewards a response only after some
defined number of correct responses
• The faster the subject responds, the
more reinforcements they will receive.
• Ex. Pay a worker a dollar for every 10
tires they fix
(b) Variable-Ratio
Schedule
• A partial reinforcement schedule that
rewards an unpredictable number of
correct responses
• This schedule is very resistant
to extinction.
• Sometimes called the “gambler’s
schedule”; similar to a slot machine;
people who make sales pitches by
telephone
Schedules of Reinforcement
Sheldon Conditions Penny
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qy_mI
EnnlF4
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWyZ
HSZf3TM
Dolphins/Sea Lions Working for
our Military
• http://www.cbsnews.com/news/dolphinssea-lions-serve-military/
III. Punishment:
The Process of
Punishment
Decrease a behavior
from happening again
by following it with a
negative consequence
II. A. Types of Punishment
(1) An undesirable
event following a
behavior
(2) A desirable state
or event ends
following a behavior
Punishment-reducing behavior
• - positive punishment
giving something bad
to reduce a behavior
(example?) spanking
= aversive stimulus
• - negative
punishment –
(omission training)
taking away
something good to
reduce a behavior
(example?)
Module 20: Operant Conditioning
III. Punishment:
B. Problems With
Punishment
II. B. Negative Effects of
Punishment
• Doesn’t prevent the undesirable
behavior when away from the punisher
• Can lead to fear, anxiety, and lower selfesteem
• Children who are punished physically
may learn to use aggression as a means
to solve problems.
II. C. Positive Effects of
Punishment
• Punishment can effectively control
certain behaviors.
• Especially useful if teaching a child not
to do a dangerous behavior
• Most still suggest reinforcing an
incompatible behavior rather than using
punishment
Module 16: Operant Conditioning
IV. The Role of
Cognition: New
Understandings of
Operant
Conditioning
III. A. Latent Learning
• Learning that takes place in absence of
an apparent reward
• It occurs but it is not apparent until there
is an incentive to demonstrate it.
(children watching parents)
III. B. Cognitive Map
• A mental representation of a place
• Experiments showed rats could learn a
maze without any reinforcements.
• Ex. 9th graders coming to school in
summer to “walk” it.
Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Motivation
• Intrinsic Motivation: desire to perform the
behavior effectively and for its own sake.
• Extrinsic Motivation: desire to behave in a
certain way to receive external rewards or
avoid threatened punishment.
III. C. Overjustification Effect
• The effect of promising a reward for
doing what someone already likes to do
• The reward may lessen and replace the
person’s original, natural motivation, so
that the behavior stops if the reward is
eliminated
Learning and Personal Control
Problem-focused Coping
• Addressing the problem
(or stressor) directly.
• We tend to use these
strategies when we feel
we have control over a
situation or can change
the circumstances
Emotion-focused coping
• Alleviating the stress by
avoiding/ignoring the
stressor
• We tend to use this
strategy when we don’t
feel we have control.
Learned Helplessness
• The helplessness and passive resignation
an animal or human learns when unable to
avoid repeated aversive events.
• Martin Seligman
• Victims of Abuse
Internal vs. External Locus of
Control
Internal
• The perception that you
control your own fate
• Studies show that
internals achieve more in
school and in work, act
more independently,
enjoy better health, feel
less depressed that
externals.
External
• The perception that
chance our outside forces
control your fate.
• Many American’s now
have more of an external
locus of control compared
to their parent’s
generation.
• What might we be seeing
as a result of this?
Crash Course
• Classical and Operant Conditioning
The End