Operant vs. Classical

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Operant vs. Classical
Operant responses understood by comprehending
the consequences they produce vs. Pavlovian
responses may have environmental effects, but
this is not what controls them
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Edward Thorndike
Acquisition of Goal-directed responses. Law of
Effect - behavior occurs in a random,
trial-and-error fashion. Consequences of a
behavior can increase or decrease the future
probability of that behavior.
1874-1949
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Cat Puzzle Box
Escape Time
Trials
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Law of Effect
Responses followed by a satisfying outcome will
strengthen the association between the situation
and the response. Responses followed by a
dissatisfying outcome will weaken the association
between the situation and the response.
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Law of Effect
Strengthens box-lever press association
Weakens box-string pulling association
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Discrete-Trial Procedures
W. S. Small (1900) used the maze as a tool to
study operant learning in rats.
complex maze measures running speed, latency
to reach goal.
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Hampton Court Palace Maze
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T-Maze
Food
No Food
Start
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Straight Alley Maze
Start
Food
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Operant (Instrumental) ConditioningThe Skinner
Box
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2 Stages of training 1. Magazine training 2.
Shaping reinforcement of successive
approximations
Lever
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Lever
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Lever
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Lever
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Lever
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Lever
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Free-Operant Procedures
Discrete-trial procedures provide animal with
limited opportunities to respond. Free-operant
procedures allow the animal to perform the
instrumental response repeatedly without
constraint.
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Discrete-Trial Operant Procedure
Lever
Light Discriminative stimulus (SD)
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Acquisition and Extinction of Lever Press Response
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Partial Reinforcement
Ratio
Interval
Fixed
Variable
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Schedules of Reinforcement
responses
time
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Size of post-reinforcement pause determined by
response-reinforcement ratio
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PREE
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What can be an operant?
Practically any behavior or behavioral
parameter! rate of response time of
response variability of response pushes and
pulls posture study habits athletic
performance arts and crafts creativity bad
habits and behavioral disorders
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Allen et al. (1964)

• The case of Ann, a nursery school student
• Problems asocial behavior, complaining, weird
  habits.
• Solution Stop paying attention to her when she
  does these things.

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Extinction of temper tantrums
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Reinforcement without awareness

• Conditioning in amesics eyeblink in HM
• Memento
• Radio static study
• Subjects told it was an experiment on stress.
• Twitching of very small thumb muscle actually
  terminated the aversive stimulus (harsh noise)
• Students condition professor

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Pigeon in a Pelican
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Ginger
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Does anyone know how google works?
google
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Marian Breland Bailey How to train a chicken
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The famous dancing chicken
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Limits on Operant Conditioning

• Instinctive drift misbehavior.
• Belongingness effects reinforcer/behavior
  specificity e.g., behavior systems effects.
• Unintended consequences Doing one thing
  precludes doing other things.
• Some responses cannot be conditioned.
• E.g., yawning or sneezing.

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Factors that affect O.C.

• The response
• Maze running vs. lever pressing
• Running vs. throwing football
• Temporal contiguity

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Delayed reinforcement
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Overcoming the effects of delay

• Secondary reinforcers
• Marking procedure

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Factors that affect O.C.

• The response
• Maze running vs. lever pressing
• Running vs. throwing football
• Temporal contiguity
• Contingency

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Superstitious Behavior

• Suggested that temporal contiguity more important
  than contingency
• 15-s FT, no response requirement
• adventitious reinforcement

In 6 out of 8 cases the resulting responses were
so clearly defined that two observers could agree
perfectly in counting instances. One bird was
conditioned to turn counter-clockwise about the
cage, making 2 or 3 turns between reinforcements.
Another repeatedly thrust its head into one of
the upper corners of the cage.
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Orienting toward feeder
Pecking near feeder
Moving along wall
¼ turn
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G.V. Thomas (1981)
Contiguity pitted against contingency
Free reinforcers given every 20s Lever press
advances delivery of pellet, but cancels pellet
for next 20-s interval
20s
40s
60s
So if you press at second 2, you get a pellet
immediately, but you get no pellet during seconds
3-20 and 21-40.
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G.V. Thomas (1981)
Contiguity pitted against contingency
Lose this pellet
Lever press here
20s
40s
60s
So if you press at second 2, you get a pellet
immediately, but you get no pellet during seconds
3-20 and 21-40.
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Degraded Contingency Effect
Response
Strong
Perfect contingency
Degraded contingency
Weak
Signal extra food
Strong
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Factors that affect O.C.

• The response
• Maze running vs. lever pressing
• Running vs. throwing football
• Temporal contiguity
• Contingency
• The reinforcer
• Magnitude, quality
• Upshifts and downshifts

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Anticipatory Contrast - Crespi (1942)
Rats run down maze to find food pellets in goal
arm.
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Reinforcement of Variability