www.lrjj.cn Operant conditioning Zimbardo, P.G. & Johnson, R.L. & McCann, V. (2009). Learning and human nurture. In S. Frail (Ed.) Psychology: Core Concepts (pp. 91-114). (6 th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
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Operant conditioning
Zimbardo, P.G. & Johnson, R.L. & McCann, V. (2009). Learning and human nurture. In S. Frail (Ed.) Psychology: Core Concepts (pp.
91-114). (6th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
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Operant conditioning
• Voluntary (not just reflexes = CC)
• Reward and punishments
• Consequences of behavior encourage or discourage behavior
• Consequences = reward or punishment
• More important than classical conditioning
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Behaviorism
• Skinner - consequences
• Thorndike – law of effect dog in a box
• Skinner uses law of effect but gets rid of ‘the mind’ = Radical behaviorism
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Reinforcement
• Try to reinforce the behavior; you want the behavior to happen again, to be repeated: Positive reinforcement Negative reinforcement
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Positive Reinforcement
• Positive reinforcer follows and strengthens a response food, money, sex smile, praise
• Positive reinforcement behavior will happen again
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Negative Reinforcement
• Negative reinforcer is taken away and strengthens the response rain noise
• Negative reinforcement behavior will happen again
• The Skinner box
• Big Bang
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The Skinner Box or Operant Chamber
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Time and frequency of reinforcements
• Crucial
• Continuous reinforcement Shaping – The Pony Disadvantages:
- Not always a reward for good behavior- Subject could get full
• Experiment
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Intermittent reinforcement
• Not rewarding all correct responses• Already learned behavior• Social reinforcement – ‘Good dog’• Resistance to extinction (2 slotmachines)• Schedules of reinforcement
Ratio – reinforcement after a certain number of responses
Interval – reinforcement after a certain time interval
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Time and frequency of intermittent reinforcements
1. Fixed ratio
2. Variable ratio
3. Fixed interval
4. Variable interval
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Ratio schedules• Fixed ratio (FR)
work faster production disadvantages?
• Variable ratio (VR) less predictable, very effective telemarketing slot machines
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Interval schedules
• Fixed interval (FI) weekly quizzes rats in a lab paycheck (extension of a weekly contract)
• Variable interval (VI) random visits boss pop quizzes fishing
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B.F. Skinner
• Schedule of reinforcement
• Ping Pong
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Applied to a work situation
• Which of these schedules of reinforcement is useful for what type of job?
• Paycheck or supervision?
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Primary and secondary reinforcers
• Primary reinforcers
• Secondary or conditioned reinforcers
• How secondary reinforcers can become primary ones.
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Biological base in operant conditioning
• Biological base of operant conditioning certain reinforcers (junk food) instinctive drift
Nature vs. Nurture
• Humans and operant conditioningToken economies
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The Premack Principle
• Desirable activities as a reinforcer exercise run around
• Experiments thirsty rats exercise deprived rats
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Reinforcement across cultures
• What is a good reinforcer? eating chocolate cake taking away the noise of heavy metal music going to the gym
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Punishment• Discourage behavior• Opposite of reinforcement
positive punishment- Hotplate- Fingers between doors- Cut in your fingers- Using salt instead of sugar
negative punishment- Teenagers phone- No dessert
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Punishment
• Punishment has to change the behavior- Spanking- Speeding ticket- Behavior point deduction
• Continuous (unlike reinforcement)Employee comes in late (rewarding)
• Different from negative reinforcement - Rat presses lever to turn off the loud sound
- Rat presses lever and a loud sound starts
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Operant Conditioning
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Punishment
• Does punishment work?
• What are the reasons of punishment?
• Punishment or reinforcer?
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Why do people punish?
• It immediately changes behavior
• Punisher may feel good
But does it work in the long run?
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Effective punishment = difficult
1. Threat goes away- Supervision- Police
2. Reward is bigger than the punishment- Dieting- Drugs
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Effective punishment = difficult
3. Aggression and escape- Prison- Rats in a shock box- Aggression can be used to influence
4. Stops the learning process- Learned self-helplessness (depression)- Focus on what not to do
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Effective punishment = difficult
5. Applied unequally boys children minority groups
Does punishment ever work?Self-destructive behaviorLogical consequence
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Effective punishment
1. Immediate
2. Consistent – every time
3. Limited time and intensity4. Logical consequence of behavior – late for
dinner eat dinner cold
5. Limited to the situation6. No mixed messages ‘no hitting in this house’
7. Negative punishment
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Examples of Operant Conditioning
• Lab rat
• Big Bang
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How to change behavior?
• Positive reinforcement (Premack Principle)
• Punishment
• Negative reinforcement (nagging, allowed to come out of ‘time out’)
• Extinction – ignoring the behavior
• Combination!
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Classical conditioning Operant conditioning
First = stimulusSecond = behavior
First = behaviorSecond = stimulus Encourage/discourage behavior with consequences (reward or punishment)
No reward or punishment (pleasant or aversive stimuli)
Reward or punishment
New stimulus produces and ‘old’ (reflexive) behavior
A new stimulus (reinforcer) produces new behavior
Extinction = withholding UCS Extinction = withholding reinforcement
Involuntary responses (reflexive)
Voluntary responses