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Questions and Answers
Which of the following scenarios best exemplifies operant conditioning?
Which of the following scenarios best exemplifies operant conditioning?
- A child learns to associate the smell of cookies baking with the warmth and comfort of their grandmother's kitchen.
- A dog salivates at the sound of a bell after the bell has been repeatedly paired with food.
- A student studies diligently to earn good grades, which leads to increased feelings of accomplishment and motivation to continue studying. (correct)
- A person flinches at the sound of thunder due to a previous frightening experience with lightning.
How does negative reinforcement differ from punishment in operant conditioning?
How does negative reinforcement differ from punishment in operant conditioning?
- Negative reinforcement decreases a behavior by removing a desirable stimulus, while punishment increases a behavior by adding an undesirable stimulus.
- Negative reinforcement and punishment both serve to decrease the likelihood of a behavior.
- Negative reinforcement increases a behavior by adding a desirable stimulus, while punishment decreases a behavior by removing a desirable stimulus.
- Negative reinforcement increases a behavior by removing an undesirable stimulus, while punishment decreases a behavior by adding an undesirable stimulus. (correct)
A parent wants to encourage their child to complete their homework. Which strategy exemplifies positive reinforcement?
A parent wants to encourage their child to complete their homework. Which strategy exemplifies positive reinforcement?
- The parent allows the child to watch their favorite TV show after they finish their homework. (correct)
- The parent takes away the child's video games until the homework is finished.
- The parent ignores the child's complaints about homework to avoid reinforcing the complaining behavior.
- The parent scolds the child for not completing their homework on time.
Which of the following scenarios demonstrates negative punishment?
Which of the following scenarios demonstrates negative punishment?
Why is shaping an important technique in operant conditioning?
Why is shaping an important technique in operant conditioning?
What is the key difference between primary and secondary reinforcers?
What is the key difference between primary and secondary reinforcers?
How do token economies apply principles of operant conditioning?
How do token economies apply principles of operant conditioning?
In the context of behavior modification, what principle does 'time-out' primarily rely on?
In the context of behavior modification, what principle does 'time-out' primarily rely on?
What is a key consideration when implementing 'time-out' as a behavior modification technique?
What is a key consideration when implementing 'time-out' as a behavior modification technique?
Why is continuous reinforcement most effective at the beginning of the behavior acquisition process?
Why is continuous reinforcement most effective at the beginning of the behavior acquisition process?
What distinguishes a fixed interval reinforcement schedule from a variable interval reinforcement schedule?
What distinguishes a fixed interval reinforcement schedule from a variable interval reinforcement schedule?
Which reinforcement schedule typically results in the highest and most consistent rate of responding?
Which reinforcement schedule typically results in the highest and most consistent rate of responding?
How can understanding reinforcement schedules explain addictive behaviors like gambling?
How can understanding reinforcement schedules explain addictive behaviors like gambling?
Why did Skinner consider the mind a 'black box'?
Why did Skinner consider the mind a 'black box'?
What did Edward Tolman's experiments on latent learning demonstrate?
What did Edward Tolman's experiments on latent learning demonstrate?
Which scenario exemplifies latent learning?
Which scenario exemplifies latent learning?
Ravi's dad always drives him to school. One day his dad is running late and Ravi has to bike. Even though he's never biked there before, he knows the way. What does this demonstrate?
Ravi's dad always drives him to school. One day his dad is running late and Ravi has to bike. Even though he's never biked there before, he knows the way. What does this demonstrate?
You trained a dolphin to jump through a hoop each time you blew a whistle. You rewarded the dolphin with a fish each time it jumped. Eventually you ran out of fish. Eventually the dolphin stopped jumping through the hoop when you blew the whistle. Which reinforcement schedule is this?
You trained a dolphin to jump through a hoop each time you blew a whistle. You rewarded the dolphin with a fish each time it jumped. Eventually you ran out of fish. Eventually the dolphin stopped jumping through the hoop when you blew the whistle. Which reinforcement schedule is this?
A call center operator has to make 100 calls per day. For every 100 calls, the operator receives a bonus. Which type of reinforcement schedule is this?
A call center operator has to make 100 calls per day. For every 100 calls, the operator receives a bonus. Which type of reinforcement schedule is this?
Which neurotransmitter is associated with feelings of pleasure and reward, often involved in addictive behaviors like gambling?
Which neurotransmitter is associated with feelings of pleasure and reward, often involved in addictive behaviors like gambling?
Flashcards
Operant Conditioning
Operant Conditioning
Learning where organisms associate a behavior with its consequence.
Reinforcement
Reinforcement
A consequence that makes a behavior more likely to be repeated.
Punishment
Punishment
A consequence that makes a behavior less likely to occur.
Law of Effect
Law of Effect
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Positive Reinforcement
Positive Reinforcement
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Negative Reinforcement
Negative Reinforcement
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Positive Punishment
Positive Punishment
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Negative Punishment
Negative Punishment
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Shaping
Shaping
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Primary Reinforcers
Primary Reinforcers
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Secondary Reinforcers
Secondary Reinforcers
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Token Economy
Token Economy
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Continuous Reinforcement
Continuous Reinforcement
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Partial Reinforcement
Partial Reinforcement
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Fixed Interval Schedule
Fixed Interval Schedule
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Variable Interval Schedule
Variable Interval Schedule
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Fixed Ratio Schedule
Fixed Ratio Schedule
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Variable Ratio Schedule
Variable Ratio Schedule
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Cognitive Map
Cognitive Map
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Latent Learning
Latent Learning
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Study Notes
Operant Conditioning
- Operant conditioning involves learning to associate a behavior with its consequence.
- A pleasant consequence causes the behavior to be repeated, whereas an unpleasant consequence makes the behavior less likely to be repeated.
Classical vs. Operant Conditioning
| Classical Conditioning | Operant Conditioning | |
|---|---|---|
| Conditioning approach | An unconditioned stimulus (such as food) is paired with a neutral stimulus (such as a bell). The neutral stimulus eventually becomes the conditioned stimulus, which brings about the conditioned response (salivation). | The target behavior is followed by reinforcement or punishment to either strengthen or weaken it, so that the learner is more likely to exhibit the desired behavior in the future. |
| Stimulus timing | The stimulus occurs immediately before the response. | The stimulus (either reinforcement or punishment) occurs soon after the response. |
B.F. Skinner and the Law of Effect
- B. F. Skinner developed operant conditioning theory, which states that behavior is motivated by reinforcements and punishments.
- Edward Thorndike proposed the law of effect, which is the basis for Skinner's belief that learning is the result of consequences.
- Behaviors followed by satisfying consequences are more likely to be repeated
- Behaviors followed by unpleasant consequences are less likely to be repeated.
Skinner Box
- Skinner conducted experiments using animals (rats and pigeons) in an operant conditioning chamber known as a "Skinner box."
- The Skinner box contained a lever or disk for the animal to press or peck for a food reward.
- The Skinner box had speakers, lights, and a device to record the number of responses made by the animal.
Positive and Negative
- Positive: Adding something
- Negative: Taking something away
- Reinforcement: Increasing a behavior
- Punishment: Decreasing a behavior
- All reinforcers increase the likelihood of a behavioral response
- All punishers decrease the likelihood of a behavioral response
Reinforcement
- Reinforcement increases a behavior, whereas punishment decreases a behavior.
- Positive reinforcement involves adding a desirable stimulus to increase a behavior.
- Negative reinforcement involves removing an undesirable stimulus to increase a behavior.
Punishment
- Positive punishment involves adding an undesirable stimulus to decrease a behavior.
- Negative punishment involves removing a pleasant stimulus to decrease a behavior.
- Punishment may teach fear and cause children to become aggressive.
- Favor reinforcement over punishment in teaching behavior.
Shaping
- Shaping involves rewarding successive approximations of a target behavior.
- Reinforce any response that resembles the desired behavior.
- Then reinforce the response that more closely resembles the desired behavior. You will no longer reinforce the previously reinforced response.
- Next, begin to reinforce the response that even more closely resembles the desired behavior.
- Continue to reinforce closer and closer approximations of the desired behavior.
- Finally, only reinforce the desired behavior.
- Shaping is often used in teaching a complex behavior or chain of behaviors.
- An important part of shaping is stimulus discrimination.
Two Types of Reinforcers
- Primary reinforcers: Rewards that have innate reinforcing qualities such as food, water, sleep, shelter, sex, touch, and pleasure.
- Secondary reinforcers: Reinforcers that have no inherent value and only have reinforcing qualities when linked with a primary reinforcer, such as praise, money and tokens.
Behavior Modification in Children
- Behavior modification uses operant conditioning principles to change behavior.
- Sticker charts use positive reinforcement by rewarding desired behaviors with stickers that can be exchanged for prizes.
- Time-out uses negative punishment by removing a child from a desirable activity when they exhibit undesirable behavior.
Reinforcement Schedules
- Continuous reinforcement: Reinforcement received each time a behavior is displayed, which is the quickest way to teach a behavior.
- Partial reinforcement: Intermittent reinforcement, where the person or animal does not get reinforced every time they perform the desired behavior.
- Fixed: Refers to the number of responses between reinforcements, or the amount of time between reinforcements, which is set and unchanging.
- Variable: Refers to the number of responses or amount of time between reinforcements, which varies or changes.
- Interval: Means the schedule is based on the time between reinforcements.
- Ratio: Means the schedule is based on the number of responses between reinforcements.
Four Types of Partial Reinforcement schedules.
- Fixed interval: Behavior is rewarded after a set amount of time.
- Variable interval: Reinforcement is given based on varying amounts of time, which are unpredictable.
- Fixed ratio: There are a set number of responses that must occur before the behavior is rewarded.
- Variable ratio: The number of responses needed for a reward varies, and is the most powerful partial reinforcement schedule.
Extinction
- Extinction of a reinforced behavior occurs at some point after reinforcement stops.
- The speed at which extinction happens depends on the reinforcement schedule.
- Variable ratio schedule has a very slow extinction rate.
- Fixed interval is the least productive and the easiest to extinguish.
Gambling And The Brain
- Gambling is an example of the power of the variable-ratio reinforcement schedule for maintaining behavior.
- Gambling works on the brain in the same way as most addictive drugs.
- Gambling is linked to the activation of the reward centers of the brain that use dopamine.
- "Near misses" also increase activity in the ventral striatum and other brain reward centers that use dopamine.
- Gambling also involves other neurotransmitters, including norepinephrine and serotonin.
Cognition and Latent Learning
- Strict behaviorists focused on studying behavior rather than cognition.
- Edward C. Tolman's experiments with rats demonstrated that organisms can learn even if they do not receive immediate reinforcement.
- Cognitive map: Mental picture of the layout of a maze, which rats developed in Tolman's experiments.
- Latent learning: Learning that occurs but is not observable in behavior until there is a reason to demonstrate it.
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