Instrumental Conditioning Foundations Chapter 5

Questions and Answers

What is instrumental conditioning?

Learning of behaviors that were previously instrumental in producing certain consequences.

Instrumental behavior is commonly referred to as ' '.

Goal directed

What are some examples of instrumental conditioning?

Studying hard to get a high score in an exam; a baby crying to get attention from parents; putting a coin into a vending machine to get food.

What is the difference between instrumental and classical conditioning?

In classical conditioning, responses are produced by stimuli. In instrumental conditioning, stimuli are a result of the animal's behavior. Signup and view all the answers

In _ conditioning, the animal has no control over the occurrence of the stimuli. In __ conditioning, the occurrence/nonoccurrence of the stimuli is dependent upon the animal's response.

Classical; Instrumental Signup and view all the answers

Who was a pioneer in the research of instrumental conditioning?

Edward Thorndike Signup and view all the answers

Describe Edward Thorndike's puzzle box.

A hungry animal was placed in the box with food outside. The animal had to make different responses to escape the box and reach the food. Signup and view all the answers

What was Thorndike's main observation during his puzzle box experiments?

The latencies to escape from the boxes decreased throughout the successive trials. Signup and view all the answers

Thorndike noticed that animals learned on a _________ basis.

Trial-and-error Signup and view all the answers

According to Thorndike, what did the successful escapes from his puzzle box lead to?

Learning of an association, or bond, between the stimulus of being inside the puzzle box (S) and the escape response (R). Signup and view all the answers

What did the consequence of escaping a puzzle box strengthen according to Thorndike?

The S-R association. Signup and view all the answers

Describe Thorndike's law of effect.

If a response is followed by a satisfying event, the S-R association is strengthened; if followed by an annoying event, the S-R association is weakened. Signup and view all the answers

What are the two main current procedures to study instrumental learning?

Discrete-trial procedures and free-operant procedures. Signup and view all the answers

Describe a discrete-trial procedure.

At the end of each training trial, the animal is removed from the apparatus, resulting in the response being performed only once on each trial. Signup and view all the answers

Are Thorndike's puzzle box and a runaway (I-shape) maze examples of discrete trial procedures?

True Signup and view all the answers

What are three dependent variables used in discrete-trial procedures? Describe them.

Running speed, latency, and choice. Signup and view all the answers

Describe free-operant procedures.

Allows the animal to repeat the instrumental response without constraint. Signup and view all the answers

Who first devised free-operant procedures?

Skinner Signup and view all the answers

Describe the Skinner box.

The animal can receive appetitive stimuli (food or water) or aversive stimuli (shock). The occurrence of these stimuli can be dependent upon some responses of the animal. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Instrumental Conditioning Overview

Instrumental conditioning involves learning behaviors that lead to specific consequences.
Instrumental behavior is often termed "goal-directed."

Examples of Instrumental Conditioning

Studying hard for high exam scores.
Babies crying to attract parental attention.
Inserting a coin into a vending machine to obtain food.

Classical vs. Instrumental Conditioning

Classical conditioning relies on stimuli to produce responses.
In instrumental conditioning, responses generate stimuli.

Control Over Stimuli

In classical conditioning, animals have no control over stimulus occurrence.
Instrumental conditioning requires animals to respond to produce outcomes.

Edward Thorndike's Contributions

Edward Thorndike was a pioneer in instrumental conditioning research and animal intelligence studies.
He developed puzzle boxes for his experiments, where animals had to escape to obtain food.

Thorndike's Puzzle Box

An animal placed in a box must perform specific actions to escape and reach visible food outside.
Responses included pulling a ring to release a latch blocking the exit.

Observations from Puzzle Box Experiments

Latency to escape decreased across trials.
Animals showed varied initial responses, gradually honing in on successful escape actions.

Learning Process in Animals

Animals learned through a trial-and-error method, with some actions leading to the desired outcome.

Association Learning

Thorndike identified an association between being inside the puzzle box (S) and the escape response (R).

Strengthening of Associations

Successful escapes strengthened the S-R association, leading to faster responses over time.

Thorndike's Law of Effect

Responses followed by satisfying outcomes strengthen the S-R association.
Responses followed by unpleasant outcomes weaken the S-R association.

Current Procedures for Instrumental Learning

Two main procedures: discrete-trial procedures and free-operant procedures.

Discrete-Trial Procedure

Animal is removed from the apparatus after each training trial, allowing only one response per trial.

Applications of Discrete-Trial Procedures

Thorndike's puzzle box and maze designs utilize discrete-trial procedures, with responses performed once per trial.

Dependent Variables in Discrete-Trial Procedures

Running speed: time to travel between start box and goal box; increases with conditioning.
Latency: time taken to leave the start box; decreases with conditioning.
Choice: in T-mazes, choice accuracy improves with conditioning.

Free-Operant Procedures

Enable animals to perform instrumental responses repeatedly without constraints.

Origin of Free-Operant Procedures

Developed by B.F. Skinner for continuous behavior studies.

Skinner Box Design

Allows animals to receive rewards (food, water) or punishments (shock), with response mechanisms (levers or keys) controlling stimuli.

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Description

This quiz focuses on the key concepts of instrumental conditioning as outlined in Chapter 5. It covers definitions, examples, and terminology related to goal-directed behavior. Perfect for students looking to reinforce their understanding of this foundational psychological theory.