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Psychology -- Learning
CHAPTER 9: LEARNING PRINCIPLES & APPLICATIONS
N O V E M B E R 1 4 TH, 2 0 1 1
Chapter 9, Section 2
 Operant Conditioning
 Study of how voluntary behavior is affected by its
consequences
 Examples: wandering dog and depressed woman
 Reinforcement
 Stimulus or event that increases the likelihood that
the preceding behavior will be repeated
 Positive reinforcer
 Positive action added after an action
 Negative reinforcer
 Something ‘unpleasant’ is removed if action
performed
 Primary Reinforcer
 Stimulus that is
naturally rewarding,
such as food, water or
sleep
 Secondary Reinforcer
 Stimulus such as
money – through
training it has been
paired with a primary
reinforcer
 Secondary reinforcer
can be anything with
the right training
Chimpanzees & Poker Chips
 Schedules of Reinforcement
 Continuous schedule
Behavior that is reinforced every time it occurs
 Any problems with this?


Partial schedule
Positive reinforcement used intermittently
 Any problems with this?

 Lottery
 A real life example…
 How do lottery scratch games work?
 Why do people play them?
 Fixed-ratio schedule

A pattern of reinforcement
in which a specific number
of correct responses is
needed before getting any
reinforcement
 Variable-ratio schedule

A pattern of reinforcement
in which an unpredictable
number of responses is
needed before any
reinforcement can be had
 Fixed-interval schedule
 A pattern of reinforcement
in which a specific amount
of time must pass before a
response will receive any
reinforcement
 Variable interval
schedule

A pattern of reinforcement
in which changing
amounts of time must
elapse before a response
will obtain reinforcement
 Shaping
 Technique in which a
desired behavior is
‘molded’ by first
rewarding any act
similar to that
behavior and then
requiring closer
approximations.
 Eventually you will
get to the exact
desired behavior you
wanted to see.
 Response chains
 Learned
reactions that follow one another
in a sequence
 Response patterns
 “Reaction
patterns”: Swimming is
composed of three major chains.
 Arm
stroking chain, breathing chain, and a leg
kicking chains
 Eventually, your behavior develops to the point
where the rhythm is natural – no thought needed.
 Aversive control

Process of influencing
behavior by means of
unpleasant stimuli
 Negative reinforcement

When a painful or
unpleasant stimulus is
removed

Ex: Walking with a limp
in your shoe due to a rock
in it. Remove rock (negate
it) and you will now be
able to walk without pain.
 Escape conditioning

Being trained to remove
or terminate an
unpleasant stimulus
 Avoidance conditioning

Being trained to respond
in such a way to prevent
the reoccurrence of an
unpleasant stimulus
 Punishment
 In negative reinforcement, subject escapes or
avoids and repeats this behavior.
 With punishment, the punished behavior will NOT
be repeated.
 Ex:
Shouting at a child not to run into the street.
Shouting “NO!” to a dog that bites you.
 Negatives of Punishment
 Side effects such as rage, aggression, and fear.
 Child

spanked at home will lash out in school.
Those being punished learn to avoid the punisher
and then have less of a chance to be ‘corrected.’
 HOMEWORK (for tonight: Nov 14th, 2011)


In your own words, explain the difference between escape
conditioning and avoidance conditioning.
On this same sheet of paper please complete a chart similar to the
one for #2 on page 258 of your textbook. It reads: “In a chart
similar to the one below, list four types of reinforcers and give an
example of each.
Types of Reinforcers
Example