Operant Conditioning

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Operant Conditioning

• Reinforcement

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E M Thorndike

• One of the early behaviourists.
• Developed the law of Effect
• Active in early 20th Century

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Hungry Cats

• Thorndikes Puzzle Box
• Picture is of one of the actual boxes used.

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Puzzle Box

• Take a hungry cat.
• Starve it for a bit
• Put it into a puzzle Box

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Puzzle Box

• See how long it takes to escape.
• Put it back
• Repeat a few times

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Antecedent, Behaviour, Consequence

• Antecedent The cat is hungry and wants to
  escape
• Behaviour This is the desired behaviour. In
  this case, pressing the escape pad.

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Antecedent, Behaviour, Consequence

• The door opens and the cat escapes, to get the
  food.
• Note, this is a double consequence
• the cat escapes and
• gets the food.
• The cat is then put back to repeat the process

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Several trials later
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Cat is better off

• The cats circumstances have improved in two ways
  as a result of the behaviour
• It is psychologically better off because it is
  not stressed by imprisonment
• And it is less hungry.

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Thorndikes Law of Effect

• Summarised it says
• Stimulus and response are connected
• Behaviour which causes an improvement in
  circumstances is likely to be repeated
• Behaviour which does not cause improvement is not
  likely to be repeated

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Reinforcement

• The pleasant consequences are known as a
  reinforcer.
• B F Skinner developed many rules and theories of
  reinforcement.

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Skinner Box

• Glass walls for visibility
• Food hopper and switch mechanisms to control
  delivery
• Metal bars on cage floor

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Skinner box

• Desired behaviour?
• Press lever
• Reinforcement?
• Helping of food

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Skinner box

• The bars can be electrified.
• Desired behaviour?
• Press lever
• Reinforcement?
• Turn off Current

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Positive Reinforcement

• Reward of something pleasant given for desired
  behaviour improves circumstances, the organism
  is better off.
• Rat presses lever, gets a lump of food.

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Negative Reinforcement

• Reward is that something unpleasant is removed as
  a result of the desired behaviour.
• Rat presses lever and current is switched off.
  Circumstances are improved because pain is
  removed.

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Punishment

• Objective of punishment is to stop undesired
  behaviour.
• Two types
• Application e.g. application of pain
• Withdrawal e.g. removal of privileges
• Not the most effective way of controlling
  behaviour

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Potential Negative Effects of Punishment
Recurrence of undesirable pupil behavior
Undesirable emotional reaction
Short-term decrease in frequency
of undesirable pupil behavior
But leads to long-term
Aggressive, disruptive behavior
Undesirable pupil behavior
Punishment by teacher
Antecedent
Apathetic, noncreative performance
Fear of teacher
Which tends to reinforce
High turnover and absenteeism
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