Download Operant Conditioning - Raleigh Charter High School

Operant Conditioning
Rewards and punishment
Classical vs. Operant Conditioning
Classical Conditioning
Behavior is determined
by what PRECEDES it.
Operant Conditioning
Behavior is determined
by anticipation of what
FOLLOWS it.
Involuntary
Voluntary
Dog salivates after a
tone.
Dog sits in anticipation
of getting a treat.
Classical or Operant?
A very bright (mildly painful) light is
turned on a rat. The rat has learned
that he can turn off the light by
pressing a lever on the other side of
his cage. As soon as the light comes
on, the rat suns across the room and
presses the lever.
Classical or Operant?
When a mother strokes her infant’s skin,
the stroking creates pleasure
responses in the baby. After this goes
on for many days, the baby begins to
show pleasure responses simply at
the sight of her mother (even before
being touched).
Classical or Operant?
A patient in a mental hospital is very disruptive
at mealtimes. She grabs food from the
plates of those sitting near her and tries to
cram the food in her mouth. Because this
behavior of stealing food is very
undesirable, a plan is developed whereby
every time the patient steals food from
other plates, she is immediately taken to a
room without food.
Classical or Operant?
Imagine you have a friend who keeps the
temperature in her home so high that
each occasion on which you visit her
you find yourself perspiring. The last
time you visited her, you noticed that
you began to perspire and became
uncomfortable as soon as you saw
her house (even before you got
inside).
Classical or Operant?
Fred leaves his clothes and toys all over
his room. It seems that the only time
he cleans up his room is when his
mother yells at him. When she yells
at him, Fred picks up his clothes and
put away his toys.
Reinforcement vs. Punishment
Practice with partner.
Types of Reinforcment



positive (adding) or negative (taking
away)
primary (innately satisfying) or
secondary (conditioned) (learned to be
satisfying)
immediate or delayed
Reinforcement Schedules

reinforcement schedules (give out
handout)


continuous – rewarded every time
partial – not every time




“fixed” – set, constant
“variable” – unpredictable
“interval” – time
“ratio” – number
Reinforcement Schedules




fixed ratio – set number (every three times
you raise your hand I call on you)
variable ratio – unpredictable number of
responses (slot machine)
fixed interval – set amount of time (pay you
every hour)
variable interval – unpredictable amount of
time (fishing)
Reinforcement Schedules


Role-playing activity
Summary




Ratio schedules cause a greater response rate
Variable schedules are more resistant to
extinction
Continuous reinforcement causes the fastest
learning.
Immediate reinforcement is more effective than
delayed.
Problems with Punishment



it models aggression as a way to
solve problems
breeds anger in the recipient
doesn’t provide an alternative
behavior. Therefore, the behavior only
goes away when the punisher is
around.
Overjustification Effect





Experiment
Story of boys playing soccer
Overjustification effect: when we are
rewarded for behaviors that we
naturally enjoy, we sometimes lose our
intrinsic motivation.
Learning and grades?
Professional athletes?
Criticisms of Behavioralism


Deemphasizes the
role of internal
thoughts and
feelings in
behavior;
Presents humans
as lacking free will
Ignores biological
predispositions
Support for Criticisms
1. Experiments with humans and animals
both indicate that biological
predispositions influence conditioning.
a. Animal training
b. Human societies built on
behavioralist principles.
Support for Criticisms
2. Cognition seems to influence
conditioning (alcoholics and nauseaproducing drug).
3. Learning occurs in the absence of
rewards or punishments (this is called
latent learning)
- mice and cognitive maps
Observational Learning


Also known as
modeling.
Albert Bandura –
Bobo doll
experiment
Modeling


Prosocial Behavior – constructive behavior
Antisocial Behavior – unproductive or
destruction behavior