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Operant Conditioning(Types of Reinforcement)

Mr. KochPsychology

Forest Lake High School

Operant Conditioning

• Ways to decrease behavior– Extinction– Punishment

• Ways to increase behavior– Pairing– Positive reinforcement– Negative reinforcement



• Primary Reinforcers– Associated with needs– Not learned– Ex: food, clothing, shelter

• Secondary Reinforcers– Associated with something that satisfies a need– Is learned– Ex: $$$, poker chips, food stamps, grades


• Positive Reinforcement– Increases the frequency of a behavior– Is wanted– Ex: food, praise, money, awards

• Negative Reinforcement– Increases behavior by removing something unpleasant

(discomfort, fear, social disapproval, etc)– “reverse reward” – Ex: don’t have to do the dishes all week if you get an A


• Punishment– Consequence that decreases the rate of a behavior

• Important:– What is reinforcing to one is NOT necessarily to

another• Ex: Suspension after skipping school = more days off vs.

fear of suspension– Increases attendance for some, not for others

• Ex: Student forced to stay after school = punishment for some vs. now getting teacher’s full attention (positive)

Operant Conditioning(Schedules of Reinforcement)

• Fixed Interval– based on time– Reinforced after a set time period

• Ex: bell ringing after class• Ex: quizzes every Friday

• Variable Interval– Based on time– Reinforced randomly at different times– Resistant to extinction

• Ex: pop quizzes

Operant Conditioning(Schedules of Reinforcement)

• Fixed Ratio– Based on responses (behaviors)– After set # of correct responses– Easy to extinguish behavior

• Ex: piecework in factories, dog treat every 3rd time trick is performed

• Variable Ratio– Reinforce behavior after random number of correct

responses– Very resistant to extinction (can be addictive)

• Ex: Gambling, fishing


• Avoidance Conditioning– Eliminate undesirable behavior not yet

present– Subject taught to avoid stimulus

• Counter Conditioning– Applies to already learned undesirable

behaviors– Seeking a new response– Unlearning old behavior