Operant Conditioning PDF

Operant Conditioning Learning by consequences By Sana Fatima Associate Clinical Psychologist-IPP B.F. Skinner (1904- 1990) ◦elaborated Thorndike’s Law of Effect ◦developed behavioral technology  RADICAL BEHAVIORISM Science is observable and mea...

Operant Conditioning Learning by consequences By Sana Fatima Associate Clinical Psychologist-IPP B.F. Skinner (1904- 1990) ◦elaborated Thorndike’s Law of Effect ◦developed behavioral technology  RADICAL BEHAVIORISM Science is observable and measurable aspect of ◦ Environment ◦ Organism’s behavior ◦ Consequences of the behavior No place for mentalistic events No place for drives, motivations and purpose  Skinner’s Theory “All we need to know in order to describe and explain behavior is this: actions followed by good outcomes are likely to recur , and actions followed by bad outcomes are less likely to recur.” (Skinner, 1953)  Operant Conditioning The use of pleasant or unpleasant consequences to control the occurrence of behaviour  Operant Behavior Is Voluntary & Directed by Consequences B. F. Skinner made the law of effect the cornerstone for his influential theory of learning, called operant conditioning. ◦ According to Skinner, the organism’s behavior is “operating” on the environment to achieve some desired goal. Operant conditioning: learning in which behavior is strengthened if followed by reinforcement and weakened if followed by punishment  S_R_S The three-term model of operant conditioning (S--> R -->S) incorporates the concept that responses cannot occur without an environmental event (e.g., an antecedent stimulus) preceding it. Operant Conditioning Operant Chamber (“Skinner Box”) ◦soundproof chamber with a bar or key that an animal can manipulate to obtain a food or water reinforcer ◦contains a device to record responses Skinner Box  Shaping Reinforces Closer Approximations to Desired Behavior Shaping (or the method of successive approximations): teaching a new behavior by reinforcing closer and closer approximations to the desired behavior  Law of acquisition Strength of an operant behavior increases when it is followed by the presentation of a reinforcing stimulus  A Reinforcer Increases the Probability of the Behavior It Follows The fundamental principle of behaviorism is that rewarded behavior is likely to be repeated. This is known as reinforcement in operant conditioning. It also states the positive side of Thorndike’s Law of Effect.  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. 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.  Punishment An event that DECREASES the behavior that it follows. Does punishment work?  Effective punishment must be 1)immediate (right now!) 2)intense (the biggest possible stick) 3)unavoidable (there is no escape) 4)consistent (every time)  There are 4Operant major techniquesConditioning or methods used in operant conditioning. – the two major purposes of operant conditioning (increasing or Theytheresult decreasing from probability that acombining: specific behavior will occur in the future), – the types of stimuli used (positive/pleasant or negative/aversive), and – the action taken (adding or removing the stimulus).  Operant Conditioning Outcomes of Conditioning Stimul Increase Decrease us Behavior Behavior Add Subtract Positi Positive ve/ Response Reinforcement Cost pleasa nt Subtract Add Negativ Negative Punishmen e/ Reinforcement t Aversiv e Reinforcement or punishment? Added to Removed from the the situation situation Strengthe Positive Negative n reinforceme reinforceme behaviour nt nt weaken Positive Negative behaviour punishment punishment