Operant Conditioning With classical condi oning you can teach a dog to salivate, but you cannot teach it to sit up or roll over. Why?

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1 4 Cuntercnditining Mary Cver Jnes used the principles f classical cndi ning t a fear. Uncndi ned s muli that create invluntary feelings f em n are paired with the -prducing bject r event un l it n lnger prduces fear. Experiment with Li le Peter wh was afraid f. A psi ve s mulus (ckie r piece f candy) was paired with the rabbit each me the rabbit was placed clser t the by, un l he was n lnger fearful f rabbits. One f many methds f based n behaviral research. Operant Cnditining With classical cndi ning yu can teach a dg t salivate, but yu cannt teach it t sit up r rll ver. Why? Saliva n is an reflex, while si ng up and rlling ver are far mre cmplex respnses that we think f as vluntary. An perant is an behavir that an rganism uses t perate in the envirnment. Operant Cnditining: A frm f learning in which the f a respnse is changed by its cnsequences that is, by the s muli that the respnse. Thrndike and the Law f Effect Edward Thrndike (late 1800s) Lcked cats in a cage/ bx Behavir changes because f its cnsequences. Rewards behavir. If cnsequences are unpleasant, the S mulus-reward cnnec n will weaken. Called the whle prcess instrumental learning. B.F. Skinner B.F. Skinner (1930s) became famus fr his ideas in behavirism and his wrk with. Research based n Thrndike s Law f Effect: The idea that respnses that prduced desirable results wuld be learned, r stamped int the rganism. A reinfrcer is anything that a behavir. The wrd means add r apply; is used t mean subtract r remve. Psitive Reinfrcement: The f smething. Occurs when a s mulus is presented as a result f perant behavir and that behavir increases. Example : If a dg "sits" n cmmand and this behavir is fllwed by the reward f a dg treat, then the dg treat serves t psi vely reinfrce the behavir f "si ng.

2 5 Example : A father gives candy t his daughter when she picks up her tys. If the frequency f picking up the tys increases, the candy is a psi ve reinfrcer (t reinfrce the behavir f cleaning up). Negative Reinfrcement: The f smething. Occurs when an aversive (unpleasant) s mulus is remved as a result f perant behavir and the rate f the behavir increases. Example: A child cleans his r her rm, and this behavir is fllwed by the parent stpping "nagging" r asking the child repeatedly t d s. Here, the nagging serves t nega vely reinfrce the behavir f cleaning because the child wants t remve that aversive s mulus f nagging. Example: A persn puts intment n a bug bite t sthe an itch. If the intment wrks, the persn will likely increase the usage f the intment because it resulted in remving the itch, which is the nega ve reinfrcer. Tw types f Negative Reinfrcement Escape Learning Escape learning ccurs t an s mulus such as annyance r pain, thereby nega vely reinfrcing the behavir. Fr example, t persuade a rat t jump frm a pla rm int a pl f water, yu might electrify the pla rm t mildly shck the rat. The rat jumps due t escape learning, since it jumps int the water t escape the electric shck. Avidance Learning Yu can transfrm escape learning int avidance learning if yu give a, such as a tne, befre the unwanted s mulus. If the rat receives a cue befre the shck, a er a few trials, it will jump befre it gets shcked. The rat will cn nue t jump when it gets the signal, even if the pla rm is n lnger electrified. A punishment is an averse/disliked s mulus which ccurs a behavir, and the prbability it will ccur again. Psitive Punishment: An undesirable event that fllws a behavir: ge ng spanked a er telling a lie. This is the f smething. Example: An experimenter punishes a respnse by presen ng an aversive s mulus int the animal's surrundings (a brief electric shck, fr example). Negative Punishment: When a event ends r is taken away a er a behavir. Example: ge ng grunded frm yur cell phne a er failing yur prgress reprt. Think f a (taking away me frm a fun ac vity with the hpe that it will stp the unwanted behavir in the future.)

3 6 The cnsequence prvides smething ($, a spanking ) Psitive Reinfrcement Psitive Punishment The cnsequence takes smething away (remves headache, timeut) Negative Reinfrcement Negative Punishment The cnsequence makes the behavir mre likely t happen in the future. The cnsequence makes the behavir less likely t happen in the future. Reinfrcement vs. Punishment Unlike reinfrcement, punishment must be administered. Intermi ent punishment is far less effec ve than punishment delivered a er every undesired behavir. In fact, nt punishing every misbehavir can have the effect f the behavir. It is imprtant t remember that the, nt the teacher, decides if smething is reinfrcing r punishing. Punishment and nega ve reinfrcement are used t prduce effects n behavir. Punishment is used t a behavir r reduce its prbability f reccurring. Nega ve reinfrcement always a behavir s prbability f happening in the future (by taking away an unwanted s muli). Remember, psi ve means adding smething and nega ve means remving smething. Premack Principle Yu have t take int cnsidera n the used. Is the reinfrcer wanted?.r at least is it mre preferable than the targeted behavir. McDnalds might be a great psitive reinfrcer fr sme, but it wuld nt wrk well n a vegetarian. Uses and Abuses f Punishment Punishment en prduces an change in behavir, which irnically reinfrces the. Hwever, punishment rarely wrks in the run fr fur reasns: 1. The pwer f punishment t suppress behavir usually disappears when the f punishment is gne. 2. Punishment triggers escape r aggressin. 3. Punishment makes the learner : inhibits learning. 4. Punishment is en applied.

4 7 T make punishment wrk: Punishment shuld be swi. Punishment shuld be certain-every me. Punishment shuld be limited in me and intensity. Punishment shuld clearly target the behavir, nt the persn. Punishment shuld nt give mixed messages. The mst effective punishment is ften missin training-negative punishment. Reinfrcement Schedules Cntinuus Reinfrcement: A reinfrcement schedule under which crrect respnses are reinfrced. Example: A vending machine. This is a useful tac c in the learning prcess. It als helps when shaping new behavir. Shaping: A technique where new behavir is prduced by reinfrcing respnses that are t the desired respnse. Example: Dg training Intermittent Reinfrcement: A type f reinfrcement schedule by which, but nt all, crrect respnses are reinfrced. Intermittent reinfrcement is the mst effective way t maintain a desired behavir that has already been learned. Interval schedule: rewards subjects a er a certain. Rati schedule: rewards subjects a er a certain. Intermittent Reinfrcement Schedules- Skinner s labratry prduced these respnses pa erns t each f fur reinfrcement schedules. Fr peple, as fr pigens, research linked t number f respnses ( ) prduces a higher respnse rate than reinfrcement linked t me elapsed ( ).

5 8 Primary and Secndary Reinfrcers Primary reinfrcement: smething that is reinfrcing: fd, warmth, water. Secndary reinfrcement: smething yu have is a reward because it is paired with a primary reinfrcement in the lng run: gd grades. Tw Imprtant Theries Tken Ecnmy : A therapeu c methd based n perant cndi ning where individuals are rewarded with tkens, which act as a reinfrcer. The tkens can be redeemed fr a variety f rewards. Premack Principle : The idea that a mre ac vity can be used t reinfrce a less-preferred ac vity. Summary Classical Cnditining Behavir is cntrlled by the s muli that precede the respnse (by the CS and the UCS). N reward r punishment is invlved (althugh pleasant and averse s muli may be used). Thrugh cndi ning, a new s mulus (CS) cmes t prduce the ld (reflexive) behavir. Ex nc n is prduced by withhlding the UCS. Learner is passive (acts reflexively): Respnses are invluntary. That is behavir is elicited by s mula n. Operant Cnditining Behavir is cntrlled by cnsequences (rewards, punishments) that fllw the respnse. O en invlves rewards (reinfrcement) and punishments. Thrugh cndi ning, a new s mulus (reinfrcer) prduces a new behavir. Ex nc n is prduced by withhlding reinfrcement. Learner is ac ve: Respnses are vluntary. That is behavir is emitted by the rganism.