Kick Off

Choose a partner. Designate one person as the experimenter and one as the subject.

Come take a slip from the table. Notice the number on it. Follow the instructions.

When finished, find a different number, and follow the instructions on that slip.

Do this for all four slips.

Operant Conditioning

Look at the chart. Out of these examples, please identify which slip corresponds to each of the following: positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, positive punishment, negative punishment

Subject- Say, “I love your hair!” Experimenter- Make a sarcastic sound and say, “One more comment like that and I’m taking your lunch money!”

Subject- Say, “I love your hair!” Experimenter- Shake subject’s hand and say, “Thanks a lot!”

Subject- Say, “I love your hair!” Experimenter- Scowl at subject and say, “Mind your own business, jerk!”

Subject- Say, “I love your hair!” Experimenter- Give subject a thumbs up and say, “I’ll do your homework for a week!”

Reinforcement

Punishment

Positive •Response strengthened•Presentation of a rewarding stimulus

•Response weakened•Presentation of an unpleasant stimulus

Negative

•Response strengthened•Removal of an unpleasant stimulus

•Response weakened•Removal of a rewarding stimulus

Kick Off- KEY

Look at the chart. Out of these examples, please identify which slip corresponds to each of the following: positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, positive punishment, negative punishment

Subject- Say, “I love your hair!” Experimenter- Make a sarcastic sound and say, “One more comment like that and I’m taking your lunch money!” NP

Subject- Say, “I love your hair!” Experimenter- Shake subject’s hand and say, “Thanks a lot!” PR

Subject- Say, “I love your hair!” Experimenter- Scowl at subject and say, “Mind your own business, jerk!” PP

Subject- Say, “I love your hair!” Experimenter- Give subject a thumbs up and say, “I’ll do your homework for a week!” NR

Reinforcement

Punishment

Positive •Response strengthened•Presentation of a rewarding stimulus

•Response weakened•Presentation of an unpleasant stimulus

Negative

•Response strengthened•Removal of an unpleasant stimulus

•Response weakened•Removal of a rewarding stimulus

DefinitionDefinition ExamplesExamples

AcquisitionShapingReinforcementPunishmentPositiveNegativePrimary reinforcerSecondary reinforcerEscape learningAvoidance learning

[Packet] Operant Conditioning Vocabularypgs. 225, 229-243

OPERANT CONDITIONING

Operant Conditoning

Consequences

Why are consequences important? Consequences impact

behavior. EXAMPLE: Thorndike’s

“thinking” experiments on cats. A cat could press a lever to be released from its cage and obtain a food reward. The cat gradually learned the favorable association between the behavior (pressing the lever) and the consequence (receiving food).

B.F. Skinner

“Operant conditioning shapes behavior as a sculptor shapes a lump of clay.” –B.F. Skinner

Performed learning experiments that demonstrated that organisms tend to repeat those responses that are followed by favorable consequences.

Skinner Box or operant chamber: a small enclosure in which an animal can make a specific response that is recorded while the consequences of the response are systematically controlled.

Step #1: Acquisition and Shaping

Acquisition is the initial stage of learning (acquiring) some new pattern of responding.

EXAMPLE: The rat must make the connection between pressing the food lever and being reinforced.

Shaping is the reinforcement of closer and closer approximations of a desired response. Thus, learning becomes a gradual process.

EXAMPLE: A rat in a Skinner box initially has no reason to press the food lever, so the experimenter will dispense food pellets every time he moves toward the lever.

Group Question Minute: A kid wants a raise in his allowance, but his dad isn’t sure that this raise is merited. Every time dad considers giving in, the kid works extra diligently on his chores. Eventually, the kid’s dad gives him a raise. How is this situation an example of acquisition and shaping?

Step #2: Reinforcement or Punishment?

Reinforcement is a consequence that occurs after a behavior and increases the chance that the behavior will occur again

Punishment is a consequence that occurs after a behavior and decreases the chance that the behavior will occur again.

Sometimes reinforcement and punishment are used together to control some behavior, as in….

EXAMPLE: Three year-old Walt suffers from pica. He eats a lot of plastic and metal, and has contracted lead poisoning as a result. Walt was given 2 food trays, one with food, the other with nonfood (fake food). Every time Walt chose from food tray he received REINFORCEMENT, verbal praise, and when Walt chose from non-food tray Walt received PUNISHMENT, having face washed for 20 seconds. As a result, after 2 sessions Walt’s behavior became highly modified.

Pica is a behavioral disorder that involve eating inedible objects or unhealthy substances.

Reinforcement

Punishment

Positive •Response strengthened•Presentation of a rewarding stimulus

•Response weakened•Presentation of an unpleasant stimulus

Negative

•Response strengthened•Removal of an unpleasant stimulus

•Response weakened•Removal of a rewarding stimulus

Step #2: Positive or Negative?

NOT or

It’s more like the mathematical version of positive and negative.

or

Positive= you’re adding something in responseNegative= you’re taking something away in response

Step #2: Reinforcement or Punishment

Positive Reinforcement occurs when a response is strengthened because it is followed by the presentation of a rewarding stimulus.

Positive Reinforcer is the addition of a stimulus that increases the likelihood that a response will occur again.

EXAMPLE: If you ask a friend for $$$$ and get it, the $$ is a positive reinforcer that will increase the chance of your asking again.

EXAMPLE: The rat receives a food pellet (stimulus) for pressing the leaver (behavior)

“GOOD DOGGY!”

Step #2: Reinforcement or Punishment

Negative reinforcement refers to a response that is strengthened because it is followed by the removal of an unpleasant stimulus.

EXAMPLE: Taking an aspirin removes a headache (unpleasant stimulus) then your response of taking an aspirin is negatively reinforced because it removes the headache and thus increases the chances of your taking an aspirin in the future.

EXAMPLE: If the rat presses the lever (response), it will be rewarded by the removal of an electric shock (stimulus).

Now who is in the mood to negotiate?

Reinforcers

Primary Reinforcer is a stimulus, like food, water, shelter, warmth, companionship, or sex, that is innately satisfying and requires no learning on the part of the subject to become pleasurable.

Secondary Reinforcer is any stimulus that has acquired its reinforcing power through experience; secondary reinforcers are learned by being paired with primary reinforcers or other secondary reinforcers. Coupons, money, grades, and praise are examples of secondary reinforcers because their value is learned or acquired through experience.

EXAMPLE: School bus driver used secondary reinforcer when he gave each child a coupon good for pizza. Kids learn coupons are valuable because they can be redeemed for pizza. Coupon becomes the secondary reinforcer that encouraged the children to choose a seat quickly so that the bus driver can get going.

Group Question Minute: Name one primary reinforcer in your life. Name one secondary reinforcer in your life.

Step #2: Reinforcement or Punishment

Positive Punishment refers to presenting an unpleasant stimulus after a response. The unpleasant stimulus decreases the chances that the response will occur.

EXAMPLE: spanking EXAMPLE: Shock the rat when it

presses the lever.

Negative punishment refers to removing an pleasant stimulus after a response. This removal decreases the chances that the response will recur.

EXAMPLE: Remove the food pellets if the rat presses the lever (he won’t press the lever again).

Group Question Minute: Name one positive punishment in your life. Name one negative punishment in your life.

Escape and Avoidance Learning

Escape and Avoidance Learning

Escape Learning: an organism acquires a response that decreases or ends some unpleasant stimulus

EXAMPLE: Rat learns to escape an electric shock in one department by running into a different department.

Avoidance Learning: an organism acquires a response that prevents some aversive stimulation from occurring.

EXAMPLE: A light flashes preceding the shock. A rat learns to run to the other department as soon as it sees the light start to flash.

Group Question Minute: How do people exhibit escape and avoidance learning?

How is operant conditioning different from classical conditioning?

Classical ConditioningGoverned by

reflexive processesReacting to a

stimulusStimulus-response

relationshipREACTING

Operant ConditioningGoverned by

voluntary responsesOrganism “operates

on environment”Responses

influenced by the outcomes that follow them

ACTING

[Packet] Operant Conditioning Synthesis Activity

Operant Conditioning Experience (subtitle): Write a descriptive, narrative paragraph (10 sentences) on one of the following topics.

(1) Acquisition/Shaping, (2) Reinforcements, (3) Punishments, (4) Extinction (same concept as in

classical conditioning)Please be sure to give background on the

experience, identify stimuli and responses, and use the appropriate terms to describe your experience (e.g. negative reinforcement, shaping, etc).