15 Questions
Unlike classical conditioning, which tends to focus on ____ or involuntary behaviours (largely controlled by stimuli that ____ or come before the response), there is another type of conditioning, which focuses on voluntary or ____ behaviours. The organism ‘operates’ on the environment and does not just react to stimuli.
reflexive, precede,non-reflexive
Weiten (2007) defines operant conditioning as: "a form of learning in which responses come to be ____ __ ____ ____"
controlled by their consequences
The operant conditioning paradigm is represented by a 3-term contingency. What is the first?
Reinforcement/punishment
The operant conditioning paradigm is represented by a 3-term contingency. What is the second?
Operant response
The operant conditioning paradigm is represented by a 3-term contingency. What is the third?
discriminative stimulus
Reinforcers and punishers are the ____ of behaviour and come to affect the subsequent frequency of behaviour (i.e., whether the frequency of behaviour will increase or decrease).
consequences
____ occurs when an event following a response increases the tendency to make that response
Reinforcement
____ occurs when an event following a response decreases the tendency to make that response
Punishment
WHAT ARE THE BASIC PROCESSES IN OPERANT CONDITIONING?
Acquisition and Shaping.
What are the basic processes of operant conditioning?
Acquisition and Shaping = Acquisition is the initial stage of learning a new pattern of responding. It is usually a gradual process. If the operant response (bar-press) of a hungry rat is followed by a reinforcer (food pellet) then the rat is more likely to press the bar again. Shaping is needed if the organism does not, on its own, emit the desired response (Burton, Westen, & Kowalski, 2019, p.387). This procedure involves no longer following the operant response (bar-press) with a reinforcer (food pellet). This results in the gradual weakening and disappearance of the response. Often the number of responses increases initially, and then gradually decreases. (Burton, Westen, & Kowalski, 2019, pp.379-380). = Extinction Resistance to extinction = This occurs if the organism continues to make responses after reinforcement has been stopped. Spontaneous recovery = After a session of extinction, and time away from the Skinner box, the ‘extinguished’ bar-pressing response may reappear.
What are the basic processes of operant conditioning?
Generalisation = This process refers to responses being made in the presence of stimuli that are similar to the original discriminative stimulus used in conditioning. This is the opposite of generalisation. It involves an organism’s lack of response to stimuli, which are similar to the original discriminative stimulus used in conditioning. = Discrimination Delayed reinforcement = A favourable or positive outcome is more likely to strengthen a response if it immediately follows the response. Conditioning proceeds slowly if there is a delay between a response and the delivery of the reinforcer. Conditioned reinforcement = Through repeated pairings with a primary reinforcer (unconditioned), a secondary reinforcer (conditioned) can also act as a reinforcer. Primary reinforcers satisfy biological needs (e.g., food for a hungry organism, or water for a thirsty one). Secondary reinforcers depend on learning- for humans include money, tokens, material possessions etc.
FIXED—RATIO (FR) On this schedule, the reinforcer is given after a ___ ___of non-reinforced responses. Every nth response is reinforced.
fixed number
VARIABLE—RATIO (VR) On this schedule, the reinforcer is given after a ____ ____of non-reinforced responses. On ____, every nth response is reinforced, but the exact number of responses needed for reinforcement varies from one reinforcement to the next.
variable number, average
FIXED—INTERVAL (FI) This schedule reinforces the first response that occurs after a ____ ____ _ ____ has elapsed.
fixed period of time
VARIABLE—INTERVAL (VI) This schedule reinforces the first response that occurs after a ____ ____ _ ____has elapsed, since the previous reinforcer. The interval length varies around a predetermined average.
variable period of time
Study Notes
Operant Conditioning
- Focuses on voluntary or learned behaviours, unlike classical conditioning which focuses on involuntary behaviours
- The organism actively operates on the environment and doesn't just react to stimuli
Definition of Operant Conditioning
- A form of learning in which responses come to be controlled by their consequences (Weiten, 2007)
The 3-Term Contingency
- The 3-term contingency consists of:
- Discriminative stimulus (the signal for the organism to respond)
- Response (the behaviour emitted by the organism)
- Consequence (the outcome or result of the response)
Reinforcers and Punishers
- Reinforcers: events that increase the tendency to make a response
- Punishers: events that decrease the tendency to make a response
Consequences of Behaviour
- Reinforcement: an event following a response that increases the tendency to make that response
- Punishment: an event following a response that decreases the tendency to make that response
Basic Processes of Operant Conditioning
- Reinforcement: increases the frequency of behaviour
- Punishment: decreases the frequency of behaviour
- Extinction: the absence of reinforcement leading to a decrease in frequency of behaviour
Schedules of Reinforcement
Fixed-Ratio (FR) Schedule
- Reinforcer is given after a fixed number of non-reinforced responses
- Every nth response is reinforced
Variable-Ratio (VR) Schedule
- Reinforcer is given after a variable number of non-reinforced responses
- Every nth response is reinforced, but the exact number of responses needed for reinforcement varies
Fixed-Interval (FI) Schedule
- First response that occurs after a fixed time interval has elapsed is reinforced
Variable-Interval (VI) Schedule
- First response that occurs after a variable time interval has elapsed is reinforced
- Interval length varies around a predetermined average
Explore the differences between operant conditioning, which focuses on voluntary behaviors, and classical conditioning, which focuses on involuntary behaviors controlled by stimuli. Learn how organisms 'operate' on the environment in operant conditioning.
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