9'2 Operant Conditioning

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9.2 Operant Conditioning

• Everything we do and are is determined by our
  history of rewards and punishments. BF Skinner
• Operant Conditioning learning in which a certain
  action is reinforced or punished, resulting in
  corresponding increases or decreases in
  occurrence.

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• Reinforcement stimulus or event that follows a
  response and increases the likelihood that the
  response will be repeated.
• Positive Reinforcement Something the animal
  wants is added after an action
• Ex a treat for the dog
• Negative Reinforcement Occurs when something
  unpleasant is take away
• Ex the disappearance of headache pain after you
  take an aspirin is a negative reinforcer that
  makes you more likely to take that pain reliever
  in the future.

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• Primary Reinforcer stimulus that is naturally
  rewarding, such as food or water.
• Secondary Reinforcer Stimulus such as money
  that becomes rewarding through its link with a
  primary reinforcer.

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Schedules of Reinforcement

• Fixed Ratio A fixed ratio schedule refers to
  applying the reinforcement after a specific
  number of behaviors.
• EX Being Paid for every 10 pizzas made.
• Being ejected after a basketball game after five
  fouls
• Fixed Interval Applying the reinforcer after a
  specific amount of time is referred to as a fixed
  interval schedule.
• EX Checking a Thanksgiving Turkey in the oven.
  The frequency of checking increases as the time
  for the turkey draws near.
• Cramming for an exam

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• Variable Ratio a pattern of reinforcement in
  which an unpredictable number of responses are
  required before reinforcement can be obtained.
• Ex Playing a slot machine.
• Generally, animals on variable ratio schedules of
  reinforcement tend to work or respond at a
  steady, high rate.
• Variable interval schedule a pattern of
  reinforcement in which changing amounts of time
  must elapse before a response will obtain
  reinforcement.
• Ex surprise pop quizzes in class.
• Response rate is usually slow but steady.

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• Shaping a technique in which the desired
  behavior is modeled by first rewarding any act
  similar to that behavior and then requiring
  ever-closer approximations to the desired
  behavior before giving the reward.
• In negative reinforcement , escape or avoidance
  behavior is repeated and increses in frequency.
  In punishment behavior that is punished
  decreases or is not repeated.

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Disadvantages of Punishment

• 1.) Can produce unwanted side effects such as
  rage, aggression and fear.
• 2.) People learn to avoid the person delivering
  the aversive consequences.
• Punishment does not teach appropriate and
  acceptable behavior. Without positive coaching
  and modeling, the child may never learn the
  correct behavior.