Operant Conditioning

Operant Conditioning• A type of learning in which behavior is

strengthened if followed by reinforcement or diminished if followed by punishment.

Classical v. Operant• They both use acquisition, discrimination,

SR, generalization and extinction.

•Classical Conditioning is automatic (respondent behavior). Dogs automatically salivate over meat, then bell- no thinking involved.

•Operant Conditioning involves behavior where one can influence their environment with behaviors which have consequences (operant behavior).

Is the organism learning associations between events that it doesn’t control?

Is the organism learning associations between its behavior and resulting events?

Classical Conditioning

Operant Conditioning

Edward Thorndike

• Law of Effect: rewarded behavior is likely to recur.

B.F. Skinner

Shaping

• A procedure in Operant Conditioning in which reinforcers guide behavior closer and closer towards a goal.

Operant Conditioning Chamber

Conditioning

Reinforcer• Any event that STRENGTHENS the

behavior it follows.

Two Types of Reinforcement:

Positive and Negative

Positive Reinforcement

• Strengthens a response by presenting a stimulus after a response.

Negative Reinforcement

• Strengthens a response by reducing or removing an aversive stimulus.

Skinner’s Experiments

Types of Reinforcers

• Reinforcer–Positive reinforcement

–Negative reinforcement

Types of Reinforcers

Primary Reinforcer

• An innately reinforcing stimulus

Conditioned (Secondary) Reinforcer

• A stimulus that gains it reinforcing power through its association with a primary reinforcer.

Immediate v. DelayedReinforcers

Reinforcement Schedules

Continuous Reinforcement

• Reinforcing the desired response every time it occurs.

Quick Acquisition

Quick Extinction

Partial Reinforcement

• Reinforcing a response only part of the time.

• The acquisition process is slower.

• Greater resistance to extinction.

Fixed-ratio Schedules

• A schedule that reinforces a response only after a specified number of responses.

Example: I give cookie monster a cookie every FIVE times he sings “C is for cookie”.

Variable-ratio Schedule

• A schedule of reinforcement that reinforces a response after an unpredictable number of responses.

Example: I give Homer a donut at random times when he says “DOH!!!”

Fixed-interval Schedule• A schedule of

reinforcement that reinforces a response only after a specified time has elapsed.

Example: I give Bart a Butterfinger every ten minutes after he moons someone.

Variable-interval Schedule• A schedule of

reinforcement that reinforces a response at unpredictable time intervals.

Pop Quizzes

Skinner’s Experiments

Reinforcement Schedules

Skinner’s Experiments

Reinforcement Schedules

Punishment•An event that DECREASES the behavior that it follows.

Does punishment work?

Skinner’s Experiments

Punishment

• Punishment–Positive punishment

–Negative punishment

Skinner’s Experiments

Punishment• Negatives of using punishment

– Punished behavior is suppressed not forgotten

– Punishment teaches discrimination

– Punishment can teach fear

– Physical punishment may increase aggression

Contrasting Classical and Operant Conditioning

Biological Constraints on Conditioning

Biological Constraints on Conditioning

Limits on Classical Conditioning

• John Garcia–Conditioned Taste Aversion

–Biologically primed associations

• Natural Selection and Learning–Genetic predisposition

Biological Constraints on Conditioning

Limits on Classical Conditioning

Biological Constraints on Conditioning

Limits on Operant Conditioning

• Naturally adapting behaviors

• Instinctive drift

Cognition’s Influence on Conditioning

Cognitive Processes and Classical Conditioning

• Predictability of an event–Expectancy

• Stimulus associations

Cognition’s Influence on Conditioning

Cognitive Processes and Operant Conditioning

• Latent learning – learning that occurs but is not apparent until there is an incentive to demonstrate– Cognitive map –

mental representation of the layout of one’s environment

Cognition’s Influence on Conditioning

Cognitive Processes and Operant Conditioning

• Insight – sudden realization of a problem’s solution

• Intrinsic motivation - a desire to perform a behavior effectively for its own sake

• Extrinsic motivation – a desire to perform a behavior to receive promised rewards or avoid punishment

Influences on Conditioning

Learning and Personal Control• Cope – alleviating stress using emotional,

cognitive, or behavioral methods• Problem-focused coping – attempting to alleviate

stress directly – by changing stressor• Emotion-focused coping – attempting to alleviate

stress by avoiding or ignoring stressors and attending to emotional needs related to one’s stress reaction

Learning and Personal Control

Learned Helplessness• Learned helplessness (Martin Seligman) – the

hopelessness and passive resignation learned when unable to avoid repeated aversive events

Learning and Personal Control

Learned Helplessness: Internal Versus External Locus of Control• External locus of control – the perception that chance

or outside forces determine or fate• Internal locus of control – the perception that you

control your own fate

Learning and Personal Control

Learned Helplessness: Depleting and Strengthening Self-Control

• Self-control – ability to control impulses and delay short-term gratification for greater long-term rewards

Mirrors and Imitation in the Brain

• Observational learning – learning by observing others– Social learning– Modeling – the process of

observing and imitating a specific behavior

– Bandura’s Bobo Doll Experiment

Mirrors and Imitation in the Brain

Mirrors and Imitation in the Brain

• Mirror neurons – frontal lobe neurons that some scientists believe fire when performing certain actions or when observing another doing so• May cause empathy and imitation

Mirrors and Imitation in the Brain

• Cognitive imitation

Applications of Observational Learning

Prosocial versus Antisocial Effects

• Prosocial effects – positive, constructive, helpful behavior

• “Do as I say”

Applications of Observational Learning

Prosocial versus Antisocial Effects

• Antisocial effects• Violence doubled after intro of TV• Between 1998-2006 TV violence increased 75%• 74% unpunished, 58% didn’t show victims pain, 50%

justified violence, 50% perps attractive