Operant Conditioning Class

Overview of Operant Conditioning

• Operant conditioning involves learning to associate behaviors with consequences.
• Key elements of this process include Antecedents, Behaviors, and Consequences (A-B-C model).

Historical Foundations

• Edward Thorndike conducted experiments with cats in “puzzle boxes” to explore learning principles.
• Developed key laws of behavior:
  • Law of Recency: Most recent responses are likely to reoccur (e.g., choosing a restaurant).
  • Law of Availability: Certain behaviors are easier to evoke than others.
  • Law of Effect: Behaviors leading to favorable outcomes become more likely, while those with unfavorable outcomes become less likely.
• B.F. Skinner expanded on Thorndike's theories through experiments with pigeons and rats, coining the term "operant conditioning."

Types of Reinforcement and Punishment

• Reinforcement: Increases future probability of behavior.
  • Positive Reinforcement: Introduction of a pleasurable stimulus (e.g., money for homework).
  • Negative Reinforcement: Removal of an aversive stimulus (e.g., medication alleviating pain).
• Punishment: Decreases the future frequency of behavior.
  • Positive Punishment: Introduction of an aversive stimulus (e.g., shock from a bark collar).
  • Negative Punishment: Removal of a pleasurable stimulus (e.g., a swear jar).

Key Concepts in Operant Conditioning

• Extinction: Return to baseline behavior when reinforcement stops.
• Response Generalization: Same behavior increases/decreases due to reinforcement/punishment.
• Response Discrimination: Increasing/decreasing only specific responses that were reinforced/punished.

Advanced Operant Conditioning Terms

• Shaping: Rewarding successive approximations of a desired behavior.
• Primary Reinforcers: Naturally increase likelihood of responses (e.g., food, warmth).
• Secondary Reinforcers: Learned reinforcers through classical conditioning (e.g., clicker training for dogs).

Reinforcement Schedules

• Continuous Reinforcement: Reinforcement for every response.
• Partial/Intermittent Reinforcement: Occasional reinforcement for responses.
  • Fixed Ratio: Reinforcement after a set number of responses, leading to high rates but quick extinction once reinforcement stops.
  • Variable Ratio: Reinforcement after unpredictable numbers of responses (e.g., gambling), resulting in strong persistence of behavior.
  • Fixed Interval: Reinforcement after a specified period, inducing vigorous responses before the time.
  • Variable Interval: Reinforcement after unpredictable time intervals, leading to slow and steady responding.