Download What is Operant Conditioning

12/10/2012
Caitlin Crowder
Chuang Li
Danny Plyler
Nicole Prater
What is Operant Conditioning
 Operant Conditioning is the term used
by B.F. Skinner to describe the effects of
the consequences of a particular
behavior on the future occurrence of
that behavior.
 The basic principle is simple: Acts that are reinforced tend to be repeated (Mazur, 2006)
Behavior
Consequence
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Comparison of Classical and Operant Conditioning
US = Unconditioned Stimulus; CS = Conditioned Stimulus
Introduction to Psychology: Gateways to Mind and Behavior (12the Edition)
Operant Conditioning
 Positive Reinforcement
 Negative Reinforcement
 Positive Punishment
 Negative Punishment
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Reinforcement
Reinforcement is any consequence that produces an increase in that behavior in the future.
Positive Reinforcement
 Positive reinforcement strengthens a behavior by providing a
consequence an individual finds rewarding.
For example, if your teacher gives you $5 each time you
complete your homework (i.e. a reward) you are more likely to
repeat this behavior in the future, thus strengthening the
behavior of completing your homework.
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Skinner Box
Consequence:
Getting food
Behavior:
Pressing the bar
Las Vegas, a Human Skinner Box?
Negative Reinforcement
 The removal of an unpleasant reinforcer can also strengthen
behavior. This is known as Negative Reinforcement because it
is the removal of an adverse stimulus which is ‘rewarding’ to
the animal.
 Negative reinforcement strengthens behavior because it stops
or removes an unpleasant experience.
For example, if you do not complete your
homework you give your teacher $5. You will
complete your homework to avoid paying $5,
thus strengthening the behavior of completing
your homework.
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Punishment
 Punishment is defined as the opposite of reinforcement since
it is designed to weaken or eliminate a response rather than
increase it.
 Like reinforcement, punishment can work either by directly
applying an unpleasant stimulus like a shock after a response
or by removing a potentially rewarding stimulus, for instance,
deducting someone’s pocket money to punish undesirable
behavior.
Punishment
 Positive punishment
 Presenting an aversive stimulus to decrease responding
 Corporal punishment (e.g., hitting); prison
 Negative punishment
 Removal of pleasant stimulus reduces responding
 Grounding; losing television privileges
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Behavioral Effects of Various Consequences
Others ‐ Extinction
 In Extinction, a particular behavior is weakened by the consequence of not experiencing a positive condition or stopping a negative condition. Animals learning to press a
bar in a Skinner box showed
no signs of learning if food
reward followed a bar press
by more than 100 seconds
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Others ‐ Shaping
 In operant conditioning, the subject must first emit the response that the experimenter plans to reward. Shaping is the name given to those initial steps needed to get the subject to engage in the behavior that is to be rewarded. If, for example, a rat is to be rewarded for pressing a bar, it must first learn
 Generally, rewards (usually food) initially are given at the end of each of these steps. Finally, however, a reward is given only when the bar is pressed.
Others
 http://vimeo.com/18823407
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Thank you
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