Operant Conditioning

Classical◦ Reflexive Behavior◦ Extinction◦ Spontaneous

Recovery◦ Generalization◦ Discrimination

Operant◦ Voluntary Behavior◦ Extinction◦ Spontaneous

Recovery◦ Generalization◦ Discrimination

Classical v. Operant Conditioning

Classical Conditioning: ◦ Pavlov, Watson, Rescorla

History of Behaviorism

Animal Intelligence – Cats Trial and Error Learning Instrumental Conditioning Law of Effect

Edward L. Thorndike (1874-1949)

B. F. Skinner (1904-1990) Susquehanna, Pennsylvania

B.A. in English

MA and PhD from Harvard in 1930-1931

1936 @ U of Minnesota 1945 @ U of Indiana 1948 @ Harvard

Died in 1990

Operant Behaviour: a type of behaviour that operates on the environment to have a particular effect.

Operant Conditioning: a form of learning whereby voluntary behaviour comes to be controlled by consequences.

“Operant”

Operant Conditioning

Operant Conditioning

Operant Conditioning

Voluntary“Operant”

Operant Conditioning

Punishment Reinforcement

Positive Negative

Give Positive Reinforcement

Positive Punishment

Take Away Negative Punishment

NegativeReinforcement

Positive Negative

Give

Take Away

Operant Conditioning

In Class

Tell Joke

Laugh

Operant Conditioning

Professor Talks

Students Take Notes

Better Grades

Positive Negative

Give

Take Away

Operant Conditioning

Headache

Take Aspirin

Relief

Operant Conditioning

Car buzzing

Put seat belt on

Relief

Positive Negative

Give Positive

Punishment

Take Away

Operant Conditioning

Food at Table

Eat Too Fast

Pain

Operant Conditioning

Social Situation

Say somethingInappropriate

Embarrassment

Positive Negative

Give

Take Away Negative Punishment

Operant Conditioning

On Highway

Drive to Fast

Money Taken Away

Operant Conditioning

At Home…

Tantrum

Timeout

successive approximations toward a goal

a process whereby reinforcements are given for behavior directed toward a goal

reinforcement is given for approximations toward a desired goal

Shaping

1) Define the goal 2) Determine a starting point 3) Pick a reinforcer 4) Determine the steps

Making Shaping Effective

1. Continuous (CRF)◦ good to start with when shaping behavior

2. Non continuous (intermittent, partial)◦ is one in which only some responses are

reinforced◦ four basic types

Schedules of reinforcement

Fixed Ratio (FR): reinforcement delivered after fixed number of correct responses.

low resistance to extinction

Intermittent Reinforcement

Fixed Ratio

2. Fixed Interval: Reinforcement for next correct response after a fixed amount of time since last reinforcement.

low resistance to extinction

Intermittent Reinforcement

Fixed Interval

3. Variable Ratio: reinforcement after varying number of correct responses

high resistance to extinction

Intermittent Reinforcement

Variable Ratio

4. Variable Interval: reinforcement after varying time since the last reinforcement.

high resistance to extinction

Intermittent Reinforcement

Variable Interval

1) B C 2) B nothing

Result: decrease in B

Extinction

B (tantrum) C (being picked up/ attention)

Problem:◦ Positive reinforcement for the child: to continue

having tantrums.

◦ Negative reinforcement for the parent: pick up child: avoid tantrum

◦Reinforcement Trap

Extinction

Behavioral Theoriesanxiety is a CR to environmental events

1st Phase (acquisition) Classical Conditioning

2nd Phase (maintenance) Operant Conditioning

Two-Factor model

observational learning

Phase 1 – watch a model ◦ acquisition

Phase 2 – operant conditioning◦ maintenance

Phobias – other explanations