Steven I. Dworkin, Ph.D.

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Basic Principlesof Operant Conditioning

Chapter 6

Steven I. Dworkin, Ph.D.

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Two Types of Behavior

• Classical ConditioningRespondents – reflexive, elicited behavior

CS controls behavior

• Operant ConditioningOperants – voluntary, emitted behavior

outcomes control behavior

Type of learning in which the future probability of a behavior is affected by its consequences

Steven I. Dworkin, Ph.D.

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Edward Thorndike (1874-1949)The Law of Effect

• of several responses made to the same situation– those which are

accompanied or closely followed by satisfaction ….will be more likely to reoccur

– those accompanied or closely followed by discomfort will be less likely to occur

Steven I. Dworkin, Ph.D.

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ThorndikeThe Law of Effect

Steven I. Dworkin, Ph.D.

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The Law of Effect

• Satisfying- animal does not avoid

• Discomfort – animal commonly avoids or abandons

• “satisfying state” - positive reinforcer

Steven I. Dworkin, Ph.D.

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But????????

• What is satisfying ????????– List of Environmental Events That Can Serve

As Reinforcers• Food• Sex• Drugs• Warmth• Money• Shock

Steven I. Dworkin, Ph.D.

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But????????

• What is annoying ????????– List of Environmental Events Which May Be

Avoided• Food• Sex• Drugs• Warmth• Money• Shock

Steven I. Dworkin, Ph.D.

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B.F. Skinner (1904-1990)

• American psychologist B. F.Skinner became famous for his pioneering research on learning and behavior. During his60-year career, Skinner discovered important principles of operant conditioning, a type of learning that involves reinforcement and punishment. A strict behaviorist, Skinner believed that operant conditioning could explain even the most complex of human behaviors.

Steven I. Dworkin, Ph.D.

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Operant Conditioning

• Type of learning in which the future probability of a behavior is affected by its consequences

Steven I. Dworkin, Ph.D.

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Operant Behavior

• A class of emitted responses that result in certain consequences, in turn, affect the future probability or strength of those responses.

• “class of responses” all of the responses in that are capable of producing the consequence.

Steven I. Dworkin, Ph.D.

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Operant Consequences

• Reinforcers: events that follows behavior and increases the future probability of that behavior

• Punishers: events that follow behavior and decrease the future probability of behavior.

• Behaviors are reinforced or punished not organisms.

Steven I. Dworkin, Ph.D.

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Operant Antecedents

• Discriminative stimuli: environmental stimuli in the presence of which responses are reinforced and in the absence of which they are not reinforced.

• Signal that indicates that a response will be reinforced.

Steven I. Dworkin, Ph.D.

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Contingencies of Reinforcement

• Operant behavior is define by a 3 term contingency

• Events that set occasion for behavior• The operant class• Consequences that fellow the behavior

Steven I. Dworkin, Ph.D.

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Classes of Reinforcing and Punishing Stimuli

Increase

Reinforcer

Decrease

Punisher

Present

Positive

Positive

Reinforcer

Positive

Punisher

Remove

Negative

Negative

Reinforcer

Negative

Punisher

Steven I. Dworkin, Ph.D.

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Basic Contingencies

• Positive Reinforcement

• Negative Reinforcement

• Positive Punishment

• Negative Punishment

Steven I. Dworkin, Ph.D.

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Immediate versus Delayed Reinforcement

• The more immediate the reinforcer the stronger the effect on behavior.

• The more delayed the reinforcer the less valuable the reinforcer.

Steven I. Dworkin, Ph.D.

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Primary and Secondary Reinforcers

• Primary reinforcer – environmental event innately reinforcing.

• Secondary reinforcer (conditioned reinforcer) – event acquires reinforcing effects because it has been associated with a reinforcer.

• Generalized secondary reinforcers – environmental events associated with several reinforcers.

Steven I. Dworkin, Ph.D.

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Intrinsic and Extrinsic Reinforcement

• Intrinsic reinforcement is reinforcement provided by the mere act of performing the behavior.

• Extrinsic reinforcement is reinforcement provided by some consequence that is external to the behavior.

• Learned helplessness versus learned industriousness

Steven I. Dworkin, Ph.D.

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Intrinsic and Extrinsic Reinforcement

• What if extrinsic reinforcers are provided for behaviors that are intrinsically reinforcing?

Steven I. Dworkin, Ph.D.

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Shaping – Successive Approximations

• Variability is a good thing

• As behavior continues to be reinforced variability tends to decrease.

• Conditioned reinforcers are good

Steven I. Dworkin, Ph.D.

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Shaping the lever press response(responses are shaped not rats)

• Extinguish any UR to the chambers• Pair sound of pellet dispenser with pellet

delivery• Reinforce successive approximations of

desired response.• Watch what the rat does• Too little time response not strengthened• Too much time variability decreases

Steven I. Dworkin, Ph.D.

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Shaping Behavior in the Classroom

• Don’t try it• I have read this

chapter