Operant Conditioning

Operant Conditioning

Classical v. Operant Conditioning Both classical and operant conditioning use acquisition, extinction, spontaneous recovery, generalization, and discrimination. Classical conditioning uses reflexive behavior - behavior that occurs as an automatic response to some stimulus that come before the behavior. Ask: Is the behavior something the animal does NOT control? YES. Does the animal have a choice in how to behave? NO. - Classical conditioning. Operant conditioning uses operant or voluntary behavior voluntary behavior that is shaped by consequences that come after the behavior Ask: Is the behavior something the animal can control? YES. Does the animal have a choice in how to behave? YES. - Operant Conditioning.

What is Operant Conditioning?

Operant Conditioning Learning where frequency of a behavior depends on the consequence that follows that behavior The frequency will increase if the consequence is reinforcing to the subject. The frequency will decrease if the consequence is not reinforcing or punishing to the subject.

The Law of Effect

Edward L. Thorndike ( 1874 1949)

Edward Thorndike (1874-1949) Author of the law of effect Behaviors with favorable consequences will occur more frequently. Behaviors with unfavorable consequences will occur less frequently. Created puzzle boxes for research on cats

Thorndike s Puzzle Box Thorndike s Puzzle Box Video #8 from Worth s Digital Media Archive for Psychology. (2 min)

Thorndike s Puzzle Box

Early Operant Conditioning E. L. Thorndike (1898) Puzzle boxes and cats First Trial in Box Situation: stimuli inside of puzzle box Scratch at bars Push at ceiling Dig at floor Howl Etc. After Many Trials in Box Situation: stimuli inside of puzzle box Scratch at bars Push at ceiling Dig at floor Howl Etc. Etc. Etc. Press lever Press lever

B. F. Skinner (1904 1990)

B.F. Skinner (1904-1990) Believed that internal factors like thoughts, emotions, and beliefs could not be used to explain behavior. Instead said that new behaviors were actively chosen by the organism Looked at Operants or active behaviors that are used on the environment to generate consequences 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

The Skinner Box

Reinforcement/Punishment Reinforcement - Any consequence that increases the likelihood of the behavior it follows Reinforcement is ALWAYS GOOD!!! Punishment - Any consequence that decreases the likelihood of the behavior it follows The subject determines if a consequence is reinforcing or punishing

Types of Reinforcement: - Always GOOD

Positive Reinforcement Strengthens a response by presenting a stimulus that you like after a response Anything that increases the likelihood of a behavior by following it with a desirable event or state The subject receives something they want (added) Will strengthen the behavior

Positive Reinforcement

Negative Reinforcement Strengthens a response by reducing or removing an aversive (disliked) stimulus Anything that increases the likelihood of a behavior by following it with the removal of an undesirable event or state Something the subject doesn t like is removed (subtracted) Will strengthen the behavior Neg. Rein. Allows you to either: Escape something you don t like that is already present (Neg. Rein. By Escape) Avoid something before it occurs (Neg. Rein. By Avoidance)

Negative Reinforcement

Positive/Negative Reinforcement BOTH ARE GOOD THINGS!!!

Punishment: Always BAD

Types of Punishment An undesirable event following a behavior Behavior ends a desirable event or state Its effect is opposite that of reinforcement it decreases the frequency of behavior

Positive Punishment (Punishment by Application) Something is added to the environment you do NOT like. A verbal reprimand or something painful like a spanking (See examples on pg. 211)

Negative Punishment (Punishment by Removal) Something is taken away that you DO LIKE. Lose a privilege. (See examples on pg. 212)

The Good Effects of Punishment Punishment can effectively control certain behaviors if It comes immediately after the undesired behavior It is consistent and not occasional Especially useful if teaching a child not to do a dangerous behavior Most still suggest reinforcing an incompatible behavior rather than using punishment

Bad Effects of Punishment Does not teach or promote alternative, acceptable behavior. Only tells what NOT to do while reinforcement tells what to do. Doesn t prevent the undesirable behavior when away from the punisher in a safe setting Can lead to fear of the punisher, anxiety, and lower self-esteem Children who are punished physically may learn to use aggression as a means to solve problems.

Reinforcement vs. Punishment Reinforcing/Desirable Stimulus Aversive/UnDesirable Stimulus Stimulus is presented or added to animal s environment Positive (+) Reinforcement Add something you DO LIKE. Behavior Increases Positive (+) Punishment Add something you DO NOT LIKE. Behavior Decreases Stimulus is removed or taken away from animal s environment Negative (-) Punishment TAKES AWAY something you DO LIKE. Behavior Decreases Negative (-) Reinforcement TAKES AWAY something you DO NOT LIKE. Behavior Increases

How is Neg. Reinforcement different from Punishment? Negative Reinforcement will always increase a behavior Punishment will always decrease a behavior Negative Reinforcement is something YOU DO to take away something bad. Punishment is something DONE TO YOU that is bad and makes you stop doing a behavior.

Extinction In operant conditioning, the loss of a conditioned behavior when consequences no longer follow it. The subject no longer responds since the reinforcement or punishment has stopped.

Thoughts from Skinner: Skinner believed from the moment of birth, the environment shapes and determines your behavior through reinforcing or punishing consequences. A person does not act upon the world, the world acts upon him. (Read Critical Thinking Box on pg. 214-215 for more) B.F. Skinner Interview (4 min) Discusses Schedules of Reinforcemtn & Free Will Video #9 from Worth s Digital Media Archive for Psychology.

Parts of Operant Conditioning (See Chart on page 215) Discriminative Stimulus Operant Response Consequence Effect on Future Behavior Specific environmental stimulus Gas gage on empty Wallet on sidewalk Voluntary behavior Fill car with gas Give Wallet to Security Event that will make the operant response more or less likely to reoccur Avoid running out of gas. Get $50 Reward If reinforcement = more likely to reoccur If punishment = less likely to reoccur

Some Reinforcement Procedures: Shaping

Shaping Reinforcement of behaviors that are more and more similar to the one you want to occur Technique used to establish a new behavior

Shaping Principles Skinner box - soundproof box with a bar that an animal presses or pecks to release a food or water reward, and a device that records these responses. Shaping - procedure in which rewards, such as food, gradually guide an animal s behavior toward a desired behavior. Successive approximations - shaping method in which you reward responses that are ever closer to the final desired behavior and ignore all other responses. Shaping nonverbal animals can show what they perceive. Train an animal to discriminate between classes of events or objects. After being trained to discriminate between flowers, people, cars, and chairs, a pigeon can usually identify in which of these categories a new pictured object belongs