III.Operant Conditioning

1
III. Operant Conditioning

• E.L. Thorndike
• and
• B.F. Skinner

2
Operant Conditioning

• A. At the same time that Pavlov (and later
  Watson) was experimenting with what was to be
  known as Classical conditioning, E.L. Thorndike
  was experimenting with Operant conditioning or
  Instrumental Conditioning. His research served
  as the basis for B.F. Skinners research.

3
Edward L. Thorndike ( 18741949)
4
Operant Conditioning

• Describe a puzzle box
• Clip - http//www.youtube.com/watch?vyigW-izs8oc
  
• Law of Effect
• Thorndikes principle that
• Behaviors followed by favorable consequences
  become more likely
• Behaviors followed by unfavorable consequences
  become less likely

5
Early Operant Conditioning

• E. L. Thorndike (1898)
• Puzzle boxes and cats

6
Operant Conditioning

• B.F. Skinner (1904-1990)
• elaborated Thorndikes Law of Effect
• developed behavioral technology

7
B. F. Skinner (19041990)
8
Operant Conditioning

• Operant Conditioning
• type of learning in which behavior is
  strengthened if followed by reinforcement or
  diminished if followed by punishment
• Instrumental because you use an instrument
  (reinforcement or punishment) to shape behavior.

9
Operant Conditioning

• Operant Behavior
• operates (acts) on environment
• produces consequences
• Respondent Behavior
• occurs as an automatic response to stimulus
• behavior learned through classical conditioning

10
Operant Chamber

• Skinner Box
• chamber with a bar or key that an animal
  manipulates to obtain a food or water reinforcer
• contains devices to record responses

11

• What is the instrument?
• What behavior is strengthened?

12
Instruments of Conditioning
Types of Conditioning Instruments Positive (Stimulus is Given) Negative (Stimulus is Removed)
Reinforcement (Increases Desired Behavior) Give Something Increase Behavior     Remove Something Increase Behavior
Punishment (Decreases Undesirable Behavior) Give Something Decrease Behavior     Remove Something Decrease Behavior
13
Our Class

• Experiment 1
• What is the instrument?
• Experiment 2
• What is the instrument?
• Which worked best?

14
Operant Conditioning
15
(No Transcript)
16
Classroom Practice

• Sheldon Choc 1.mp4
• Sheldon Choc 2.mp4
• Sheldon Choc 3.mp4
• What is the desired behavior?
• What is the instrument?
• https//www.youtube.com/watch?vLhI5h5JZi-U

17
Operant Conditioning
In shaping, successively closer versions of a
desired response are reinforced (as in learning
to play tennis).
In chaining, each part of a sequence is
reinforced the different parts are put together
into a whole (as in learning the steps to a
dance).
18
Punishment

• Punishment
• aversive event that decreases the behavior that
  it follows
• powerful controller of unwanted behavior

19
Punishment
20
Problems with Punishment

• Does not teach or promote alternative, acceptable
  behavior
• May produce undesirable results such as
  hostility, passivity, fear
• Likely to be temporary
• May model aggression

21
Samples

• Positive Reinforcement
• Negative Reinforcement
• Positive Punishment
• Negative Punishment

22
Operant Conditioning Processes
Primary Reinforcement is unlearned and usually
necessary for survival. Food is the best example
of a primary reinforcer. Examples?
Secondary Reinforcement is anything that comes to
represent a primary reinforcer such as praise
from a friend or a gold star on a homework
assignment. Also called conditioned reinforcer.
Examples?
23
Common Terminology

• Classical

• Operant

• Acquisition repeatedly pair CS with UCS
• Extinction CS no longer paired with UCS, CR
  extinguished
• Spontaneous Recovery After period of
  extinction, CR returns in presence of CS
• Generalization Will respond to stimuli similar
  to CS
• Discrimination Will ONLY respond to CS

• Acquisition behavior repeatedly FOLLOWED BY
  reinforcement/punishment
• Extinction behavior no longer
  reinforced/punished so extinguished
• Spontaneous Recovery behavior suddenly
  reappears (after extinguished) in presence of
  reinforcer
• Generalization will respond to
  reinforcement/punishment similar to original
• Discrimination will ONLY respond to original
  reinforcement/punishment

24
Schedules of Reinforcement

• Immediate Reinforcers
• To our detriment, small but immediate
  reinforcements are sometimes more alluring than
  big, but delayed reinforcements
• Continuous Reinforcement
• reinforcing the desired response each time it
  occurs
• Partial/Delayed/Intermittent Reinforcement
• reinforcing a response only part of the time
• results in slower acquisition
• greater resistance to extinction

25
Schedules of Reinforcement

• Fixed Ratio (FR)
• reinforces a response only after a specified
  number of responses
• faster you respond the more rewards you get
• different ratios
• very high rate of responding
• like piecework pay

26
Schedules of Reinforcement

• Variable Ratio (VR)
• reinforces a response after an unpredictable
  number of responses
• average ratios
• like gambling, fly fishing
• very hard to extinguish because of
  unpredictability

27
Schedules of Reinforcement

• Fixed Interval (FI)
• reinforces a response only after a specified time
  has elapsed
• response occurs more frequently as the
  anticipated time for reward draws near

28
Schedules of Reinforcement

• Variable Interval (VI)
• reinforces a response at unpredictable time
  intervals
• produces slow steady responding
• like pop quiz, fishing

29
Practice Worksheet

• Fixed or Variable?
• Ratio or Interval?

30
Consideration of Future Consequences Scale

• 1 Extremely Uncharacteristic
• 2 Somewhat Uncharacteristic
• 3 Uncertain
• 4 Somewhat Characteristic
• 5 Extremely Characteristic
• Number 1 - 12

31
Delay of Gratification

• Delay of Gratification Scale
• Marshmallow Study
• Walter Mischel(Columbia University)
• Tracked children longitudinally
• Kids that could wait went on to achieve more
• Marshmallow Test