3.8 - Operant Conditioning

Operant Conditioning

Latent Learning: Learning that occurs but isn't demonstrated until there's a reason (reinforcement) to do so. Example: You learn the route to school by riding with a friend, but you don't demonstrate that knowledge until you drive yourself.

Thorndike's Law of Effect: Behaviors followed by favorable consequences become more likely, and behaviors followed by unfavorable consequences become less likely.

B.F. Skinner and the Skinner Box

• Skinner used a special chamber ("Skinner box") to study how animals learn through rewards and punishments.

• This box allowed precise control over the environment and recorded animal responses.

Shaping Behavior

• Shaping: Gradually guiding an animal's actions toward a desired behavior by rewarding successive approximations (behaviors that get closer and closer to the target behavior).

Reinforcers: Strengthening Behavior

• Reinforcer: Anything that increases the likelihood of a behavior being repeated.

• Primary Reinforcer: Satisfies a biological need (e.g., food, water, warmth).

• Conditioned (Secondary) Reinforcer: Gains its power through association with a primary reinforcer (e.g., money, grades, praise).

• Immediate Reinforcer: Occurs right after the behavior (e.g., getting a treat for sitting).

• Delayed Reinforcer: Occurs after a delay (e.g., getting a paycheck at the end of the week).

Positive Reinforcement: Strengthens a response by presenting a positive stimulus after the behavior. Example: Giving a child a sticker for completing a chore.

Negative Reinforcement: Strengthens a response by removing an unpleasant stimulus. Example: Taking medicine to get rid of a headache.

Schedules of Reinforcement

• Continuous Reinforcement: Reinforcing a behavior every time it happens. Useful for establishing new behaviors.

• Partial (Intermittent) Reinforcement: Reinforcing a behavior only some of the time. Makes behaviors more resistant to extinction.

• Fixed-Ratio: Reinforcement after a set number of responses. Example: Getting a reward after every 5 correct answers.

• Variable-Ratio: Reinforcement after an unpredictable number of responses. Example: Slot machines.

• Fixed-Interval: Reinforcement after a set amount of time. Example: Getting paid every two weeks.

• Variable-Interval: Reinforcement after an unpredictable amount of time. Example: Pop quizzes.

Punishment

Definition: Decreases the likelihood of a behavior being repeated.

• Positive Punishment: Adding an unpleasant stimulus after a behavior. Example: Getting a speeding ticket.

• Negative Punishment: Removing a desirable stimulus after a behavior. Example: Losing TV privileges.

Learned Helplessness (Martin Seligman): The feeling of hopelessness and passivity that develops when you experience repeated, uncontrollable negative events.