Module 18 slides Summer 2012
- 1. Operant Conditioning Module 18
- 2. Skinner’s Experiments Skinner’s experiments extend Thorndike’s thinking, especially his law of effect. This law states that rewarded behavior is likely to occur again. Yale University Library
- 3. Operant Chamber Using Thorndike's law of effect as a starting point, Skinner developed the Operant chamber, or the Skinner box, to study operant conditioning. Edition by Michael P. Domjan, 2005. Used with permission From The Essentials of Conditioning and Learning, 3rd by Thomson Learning, Wadsworth Division Walter Dawn/ Photo Researchers, Inc.
- 4. Operant Chamber The operant chamber, or Skinner box, comes with a bar or key that an animal manipulates to obtain a reinforcer like food or water. The bar or key is connected to devices that record the animal’s response.
- 5. Shaping Shaping is the operant conditioning procedure in which reinforcers guide behavior towards the desired target behavior through successive approximations.
- 6. Types of Reinforcers Reinforcement: Any event that strengthens the behavior it follows. A heat lamp positively reinforces a meerkat’s behavior in the cold. Reuters/ Corbis
- 7. Primary & Secondary Reinforcers 1. Primary Reinforcer: An innately reinforcing stimulus like food or drink. 2. Conditioned Reinforcer: A learned reinforcer that gets its reinforcing power through association with the primary reinforcer.
- 8. Immediate & Delayed Reinforcers 1. Immediate Reinforcer: A reinforcer that occurs instantly after a behavior. A rat gets a food pellet for a bar press. 2. Delayed Reinforcer: A reinforcer that is delayed in time for a certain behavior. A paycheck that comes at the end of a week. We may be inclined to engage in small immediate reinforcers (watching TV) rather than large delayed reinforcers (getting an A in a course) which require consistent study.
- 9. Reinforcement Schedules 1. Continuous Reinforcement: Reinforces the desired response each time it occurs. 2. Partial Reinforcement: Reinforces a response only part of the time. Though this results in slower acquisition in the beginning, it shows greater resistance to extinction later on.
- 10. Ratio Schedules 1. Fixed-ratio schedule: Reinforces a response only after a specified number of responses. e.g., piecework pay. 2. Variable-ratio schedule: Reinforces a response after an unpredictable number of responses. This is hard to extinguish because of the unpredictability. (e.g., behaviors like gambling, fishing.)
- 11. Interval Schedules 1. Fixed-interval schedule: Reinforces a response only after a specified time has elapsed. (e.g., preparing for an exam only when the exam draws close.) 2. Variable-interval schedule: Reinforces a response at unpredictable time intervals, which produces slow, steady responses. (e.g., pop quiz.)
- 12. Punishment An aversive event that decreases the behavior it follows.
- 13. Punishment Although there may be some justification for occasional punishment (Larzelaere & Baumrind, 2002), it usually leads to negative effects. 1. Results in unwanted fears. 2. Conveys no information to the organism. 3. Justifies pain to others. 4. Causes unwanted behaviors to reappear in its absence. 5. Causes aggression towards the agent. 6. Causes one unwanted behavior to appear in place of another.
- 14. Positive Reinforcement • Behavior or response increases when followed by the addition of a reinforcing stimulus – Examples: • Dog treats • Teacher’s praise • Good grades = money
- 15. Negative Reinforcement • Behavior or response increases when followed by the removal, avoidance or escape of an unpleasant stimulus – Examples: • Taking an aspirin • Crying = toy • Alarm clock
- 16. More examples – Negative Reinforcement 1. Taking aspirin to relieve a headache. 2. Hurrying home in the winter to get out of the cold. 3. Giving in to an argument or to a dog’s begging. 4. Fanning oneself to escape the heat. 5. Leaving a movie theater if the movie is bad. 6. Smoking in order to relieve anxiety. 7. Following prison rules in order to be released from confinement. 8. Feigning a stomachache in order to avoid school. 9. Putting on a car safety belt to stop an irritating buzz. 10. Turning down the volume of a very loud radio. 11. Putting up an umbrella to escape the rain. 12. Saying “uncle” to stop being beaten.
- 17. Positive Punishment • Behavior or response decreases when followed by the addition or application of an aversive stimulus – Examples: • Spanking • Bad behavior = more chores • Yelling at spouse
- 18. Negative Punishment • Behavior or response decreases when followed by the removal of a reinforcing stimulus – Examples: • Dude I’m grounded • Time-out • Driving drunk = loss of license
- 19. Reinforcement and Punishment Behavior Increases Decreases Stimulus Addition Positive Positive Reinforcement Punishment Removed Negative Negative Reinforcement Punishment
- 20. Identify the Type of Conditioning Tim is learning to play the trombone. His teacher notices that Tim likes baseball so she begins to give him a baseball card every time he successfully learns to play a new piece of music. How is Tim being conditioned?
- 22. Identify the Type of Conditioning Anna ate something that upset her stomach. Anika suggested that she take a special mixture of peppermint tea and saltine crackers. Anna took the cure and felt much better. The next time Anna felt sick to her stomach, she fixed herself peppermint tea and crackers. How has Anna been conditioned?
- 24. Identify the Type of Conditioning Fredrick refuses to take out the trash, so his mother refuses to allow him to watch his favorite TV show in the evening. How has Fredrick been conditioned?
- 26. Identify the Type of Conditioning Jen was in a hurry to meet her friends for dinner. Jen is going 85 in a 65 and gets pulled over by a police officer. The officer gives her a ticket. How is Jen being conditioned?
- 28. Operant Conditioning Worksheet
- 29. Intrinsic Motivation Intrinsic Motivation: The desire to perform a behavior for its own sake. Extrinsic Motivation: The desire to perform a behavior due to promised rewards or threats of punishments.
- 30. Skinner’s Legacy Skinner argued that behaviors were shaped by external influences instead of inner thoughts and feelings. Critics argued that Skinner dehumanized people by neglecting their free will. .Falk/ Photo Researchers, Inc
- 31. Applications of Operant Conditioning Skinner introduced the concept of teaching machines that shape learning in small steps and provide reinforcements for correct rewards. In School LWA-JDL/ Corbis
- 32. Applications of Operant Conditioning Reinforcers affect productivity. Many companies now allow employees to share profits and participate in company ownership. At work
- 33. Applications of Operant Conditioning At Home In children, reinforcing good behavior increases the occurrence of these behaviors. Ignoring unwanted behavior decreases their occurrence.