Download Reinforcement - Eagan High School

OPERANT CONDITIONING
“Everything we do and are is
determined by our history of rewards
and punishments.”
B.F. Skinner
Operant Conditioning
• A type of learning in which
frequency of the behavior depends
on consequences of behavior.
B.F. Skinner (1904-1990)
*Developed the fundamental
principles and techniques of operant
conditioning and devised ways to
apply them in the real world
*Designed the Skinner Box, or
operant chamber (mice, pigeons) &
Skinner Air Crib (humans)
Skinner Box (operant
conditioning chamber)
B.F. Skinner 1904-1990
Skinner Box: small experimental chamber.
Animal presses a bar or pecks to release a food reward.
Skinner Air Crib
Crib designed by BF SkinnerPerfect environment will raise perfect kids…
Temperature controlled, filtered air, no clothes
SKINNER’S RULES
• Create conditions that make emitting that
target behavior easily and likely.
• Positively reinforce the target behavior with
appropriate reinforcers immediately.
• Avoid punishment
• Use effective schedule of reinforcement
REINFORCEMENT vs
PUNISHMENT
• Reinforcement (positive
or negative)- Any
consequence that
INCREASES the future
likelihood of the behavior
.
Punishment –
Decreases the chances
behavior will happen
again.
Positive reinforcement
• Anything that increases the likelihood of
behavior by following it with a desirable
event. ADD something desirable
• Ex. Money, compliment, E.C, candy
Negative reinforcement
• Anything that increases the likelihood of a
behavior by following it with the
REMOVAL of something undesirable
• Ex. Headache/meds, mom/nag, torture,
• Seatbelt ding in car
PUNISHMENT
• Definition: an
unpleasant
consequence occurs
and decreases the
frequency of behavior,
• Ex. time out, tardies
• Problems? Anxiety,
low self esteem
Learned helplessness
People or animals that feel hopeless because they cannot
avoid repeated bad events.
Ex. Dogs in individual chambers received shocks
Some dogs could jump over barriers, others were restrained
to prevent escape. Restrained dogs learned to be helpless…
Depression happens when people have no control
Over their environment
Operant Conditioning Terms
• Shaping: positively reinforce behaviors
that move closer and closer to the target
behavior
• Chaining: Trainers establish a chain of
responses leading to a reward
Schedules of Reinforcement

Continuous Reinforcement:
Each time a behavior occurs, reinforcement is given


Intermittent Reinforcement:

Reward only some responses
Schedules of Reinforcement
• Fixed-Ratio Schedule- a specific number
of correct responses are required before
reinforcement can be obtained.
• Ex. Buy 2 get 1 free, tardies
• Variable-Ratio Schedule- a different
number of responses are required before
reinforcement can be obtained each time.
Ex. gamblers
Schedules Cont.
• Fixed-Interval Schedule- a specific
amount of time must elapse before a
response will elicit reinforcement.
• Ex. Check, weekly test
• Variable-Interval Schedule- changing
amounts of time must elapse before a
response will obtain reinforcement.
• Ex. fish, hunt, pop quiz
Schedules of Reinforcement
Social Learning