6.3 Operant Conditioning
3 min read•june 24, 2024
shapes behavior through consequences. It's like training a dog: rewarding good behavior makes it more likely, while punishing bad behavior makes it less likely. This powerful learning method applies to humans too, influencing our actions in everyday life.
and come in different forms, each with unique effects. Understanding these principles helps us modify behavior effectively, whether in parenting, education, or self-improvement. Reinforcement schedules also play a crucial role in determining how quickly behaviors are learned and how resistant they are to change.
Operant Conditioning
Operant conditioning principles
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- Type of learning where behavior is modified by its consequences, either reinforcing (increasing behavior) or punishing (decreasing behavior)
- Reinforcement strengthens or increases the likelihood of a behavior occurring again
- adds a pleasant stimulus after a behavior (giving a dog a treat for sitting on command)
- removes an aversive stimulus after a behavior (fastening a seat belt to stop the annoying beeping sound in a car)
- Punishment weakens or decreases the likelihood of a behavior occurring again
- adds an aversive stimulus after a behavior (scolding a child for misbehaving)
- removes a pleasant stimulus after a behavior (taking away a teenager's phone privileges for breaking curfew)
- occurs when a previously reinforced behavior is no longer reinforced, leading to a decrease in the behavior (ignoring a child's tantrum until it stops)
- may occur when an extinguished behavior temporarily reappears after a period of time
Reinforcement vs punishment techniques
- Reinforcement techniques reward desired behavior
- Positive reinforcement rewards with a pleasant stimulus (bonus for meeting sales targets)
- Negative reinforcement rewards by removing an aversive stimulus (taking a pain reliever to alleviate a headache)
- Punishment techniques discourage undesired behavior
- Positive punishment presents an aversive stimulus (assigning extra homework for talking in class)
- Negative punishment removes a pleasant stimulus (losing recess privileges for not completing assignments)
- is a technique used to teach complex behaviors by reinforcing successive approximations of the desired behavior
Effects of reinforcement schedules
- reinforces a behavior every time it occurs
- Leads to rapid learning but also rapid extinction when reinforcement stops (a rat learning to press a lever for food pellets)
- Partial (intermittent) reinforcement reinforces a behavior only some of the time
- Results in slower learning but greater resistance to extinction (a gambler continuing to play despite infrequent wins)
- schedules:
- (FR) provides reinforcement after a fixed number of responses (earning a free coffee after purchasing 10)
- (VR) provides reinforcement after an unpredictable number of responses (fishing and catching a fish after a random number of casts)
- (FI) provides reinforcement after a fixed amount of time has passed (receiving a paycheck every two weeks)
- (VI) provides reinforcement after an unpredictable amount of time has passed (a car salesperson making a sale after a random amount of time between customers)
Stimulus Control and Generalization
- is a cue that signals when a behavior is likely to be reinforced (e.g., a green traffic light indicating it's safe to drive)
- occurs when a learned response is applied to similar stimuli or situations
- developed the operant conditioning chamber (Skinner box) to study these principles in animals
Key Terms to Review (20)
B.F. Skinner: B.F. Skinner was an influential American psychologist who is best known for his work on operant conditioning, a type of learning where behavior is modified by consequences. Skinner's theories and research had a significant impact on the fields of psychology, education, and behavioral analysis.
Continuous Reinforcement: Continuous reinforcement is a schedule of reinforcement in operant conditioning where a desired behavior is rewarded every time it occurs. This type of reinforcement schedule leads to a rapid acquisition of the behavior, but the behavior is also more easily extinguished when the reinforcement is removed.
Discriminative Stimulus: A discriminative stimulus is an environmental cue that signals the availability of a specific consequence, such as a reward or punishment, based on an organism's behavior. It is a critical component in the process of operant conditioning, where an individual learns to associate a particular stimulus with a specific outcome.
Extinction: Extinction is the process by which a previously learned behavior is gradually reduced and eventually eliminated, often as a result of the absence of reinforcement. This term is particularly relevant in the context of classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and learning approaches in psychology.
Fixed Interval: A fixed interval schedule of reinforcement is an operant conditioning paradigm where a response is reinforced only after a specific, pre-determined amount of time has elapsed since the last reinforcement. This creates a pattern of responding where the rate of response increases as the time for the next reinforcement approaches.
Fixed Ratio: A fixed ratio (FR) schedule of reinforcement is an operant conditioning paradigm where a behavior is reinforced after a specific, pre-determined number of responses have been made. The organism must emit the target behavior a fixed number of times before receiving the reinforcer.
Generalization: Generalization is the tendency to respond similarly to stimuli that are similar but not identical to the original conditioned stimulus. It is a fundamental concept in the field of learning, particularly in the context of classical and operant conditioning, as well as learning approaches.
Intermittent Reinforcement: Intermittent reinforcement is a type of operant conditioning where a behavior is reinforced only some of the time, rather than every time the behavior is performed. This unpredictable schedule of reinforcement can be highly effective in shaping and maintaining behaviors.
Negative Punishment: Negative punishment is a type of operant conditioning where a consequence is presented that decreases the likelihood of a behavior occurring in the future. It involves the removal of a positive stimulus or the introduction of an aversive stimulus following an undesirable behavior, resulting in the reduction of that behavior.
Negative Reinforcement: Negative reinforcement is a type of operant conditioning where a behavior is strengthened by the removal or avoidance of an unpleasant or aversive stimulus. It involves the process of taking away something undesirable to increase the likelihood of a desired behavior occurring in the future.
Operant Conditioning: Operant conditioning is a type of learning in which the consequences of a behavior determine the likelihood of that behavior occurring again. It involves reinforcing desired behaviors and discouraging undesired ones to shape an individual's actions and responses over time. This concept is central to understanding how psychology has evolved from its historical foundations to its contemporary applications across various contexts, including learning, behavior modification, and the treatment of psychological disorders.
Partial Reinforcement: Partial reinforcement is a type of reinforcement schedule in operant conditioning where a behavior is reinforced only some of the time, rather than every time the behavior is performed. This intermittent pattern of reinforcement can lead to more persistent and resistant behaviors compared to continuous reinforcement.
Positive Punishment: Positive punishment is a type of operant conditioning where an unpleasant or aversive stimulus is presented immediately following an undesirable behavior, with the goal of decreasing the likelihood of that behavior occurring in the future. It is one of the four main types of operant conditioning, along with positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, and negative punishment.
Positive Reinforcement: Positive reinforcement is a behavioral psychology concept that involves rewarding a desired behavior to increase the likelihood of that behavior occurring again in the future. It is a core principle in the theory of operant conditioning and has been widely applied in various settings, including education, parenting, and behavior modification programs.
Punishment: Punishment is a consequence or aversive stimulus that is intended to decrease the likelihood of a particular behavior occurring in the future. It is a fundamental concept in the study of learning, particularly in the context of operant conditioning and learning approaches.
Reinforcement: Reinforcement is a fundamental concept in learning theory, referring to the process of strengthening or increasing the likelihood of a desired behavior or response through the application of a positive or negative consequence. It is a core principle that underpins various learning approaches, including operant conditioning and learning approaches.
Shaping: Shaping is a technique used in operant conditioning where a desired behavior is reinforced in small, successive approximations, gradually guiding the learner towards the target behavior. It involves reinforcing intermediate steps or small improvements in behavior to shape and refine the final desired response.
Spontaneous Recovery: Spontaneous recovery is the reappearance of a previously extinguished conditioned response after a period of time has passed. It is a phenomenon observed in both classical and operant conditioning, where the learned association between a stimulus and a response can be temporarily lost but then reestablished without further training.
Variable Interval: A variable interval (VI) schedule of reinforcement is an operant conditioning procedure where a reinforcer is delivered after an unpredictable, variable amount of time has passed since the last reinforcement. This creates an inconsistent and unpredictable pattern of reinforcement, which can lead to persistent and resilient behaviors.
Variable Ratio: A variable ratio schedule is a type of reinforcement schedule in operant conditioning where the subject is rewarded after an unpredictable number of responses. The reward is delivered after a varying number of responses, rather than a fixed number, creating an element of uncertainty and anticipation for the subject.