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Session 9

Operant conditioning is a learning process where voluntary behaviors are strengthened or weakened based on consequences. Reinforcers strengthen behaviors by increasing the probability they will occur again, while punishments weaken behaviors. There are different types of reinforcers and punishments depending on whether a stimulus is added or removed. Schedules of reinforcement refer to patterns of how frequently behaviors are reinforced, such as continuous, partial, fixed-ratio, or variable-interval schedules.

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9 views

Session 9

Operant conditioning is a learning process where voluntary behaviors are strengthened or weakened based on consequences. Reinforcers strengthen behaviors by increasing the probability they will occur again, while punishments weaken behaviors. There are different types of reinforcers and punishments depending on whether a stimulus is added or removed. Schedules of reinforcement refer to patterns of how frequently behaviors are reinforced, such as continuous, partial, fixed-ratio, or variable-interval schedules.

Uploaded by

Wardah Zubair
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Operant Conditioning

• What is the role of reward and


punishment in learning?
• What are some practical methods for
bringing about behavior change, both
in ourselves and in others?
Operant Conditioning
• Learning in which a voluntary response is
strengthened or weakened, depending on its
favorable or unfavorable consequences.
– voluntary response -------> strengthened /
weakened

– favorable or unfavorable consequences


Thorndike’s Law of Effect
Edward L. Thorndike devised
this puzzle box to study the process by
which a cat learns to press a paddle to
escape from the box and receive food.

Do you think Thorndike’s work has


relevance to the question of why
humans voluntarily solve puzzles, such
as crossword puzzles and jigsaw
puzzles? Do they receive any rewards?
The Basics of Operant Conditioning
• Reinforcement
– The process by which a stimulus increases the probability that a
preceding behavior will be repeated.
• Reinforcer
– Any stimulus that increases the probability that a preceding behavior
will occur again
• Primary Reinforcer
– One that satisfies some biological need and works naturally, regardless
of a person’s previous experience – Food / Pain relieved / Where will
you place Freedom from enslavement
• A Secondary Reinforcer
– In contrast, is a stimulus that becomes reinforcing because of its
association with a primary reinforcer – Paddle / Money
The Basics of Operant Conditioning (Contd. …)

• Positive reinforcer
– A stimulus added to the environment that brings about an increase in a preceding response.
• Negative reinforcer
– An unpleasant stimulus whose removal leads to an increase in the probability that a preceding response
will be repeated in the future.
• Punishment
– A stimulus that decreases the probability that a previous behavior will occur again.

• Reinforcement increases the frequency of the behavior preceding it; punishment decreases the
frequency of the behavior preceding it.
• The application of a positive stimulus brings about an increase in the frequency of behavior
and is referred to as positive reinforcement; the application of a negative stimulus decreases or
reduces the frequency of behavior and is called punishment.
– For instance, spanking a child for misbehaving or spending ten years in jail for committing a crime is
positive punishment
• The removal of a negative stimulus that results in an increase in the frequency of behavior is
negative reinforcement; the removal of a positive stimulus that decreases the frequency of
behavior is negative punishment.
– For instance, when a teenager is told she is “grounded” and will no longer be able to use the family car
because of her poor grades, or when an employee is informed that he has been demoted with a cut in pay
because of a poor job evaluation,
SCHEDULES OF REINFORCEMENT: TIMING
LIFE’S REWARDS
• Schedules of reinforcement
– Different patterns of frequency and timing of reinforcement following desired behavior
• Continuous reinforcement schedule
– Reinforcing of a behavior every time it occurs
• Partial / intermittent reinforcement schedule
– Reinforcing of a behavior some but not all of the time
• Fixed-ratio schedule
– A schedule by which reinforcement is given only after a specific number of responses are
made.
• Variable-ratio schedule
– A schedule by which reinforcement occurs after a varying number of responses rather than
after a fixed number.
• Fixed-interval schedule
– A schedule that provides reinforcement for a response only if a fixed time period has elapsed,
making overall rates of response relatively low.
• Variable-interval schedule
– A schedule by which the time between reinforcements varies around some average rather
than being fixed.

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