In operant conditioning, this is an event that strengthens the behavior behind it
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Learning is a change in behavior or in potential behavior that occurs as a result of experience. Learning occurs most rapidly on a schedule of continuous reinforcement. However it is fairly easy to extinguish� switching to variable reinforcement after the desired behavior has been reached prevents extinction. Show CLASSICAL CONDITIONING If a neutral stimulus (a stimulus that at first elicits no response) is paired with a stimulus that already evokes a reflex response, then eventually the new stimulus will by itself evoke a similar response. (UCS, UCR, CS, CR) � Each pairing of the CS with the UCS strengthens the connection between the CS and CR. � Timing is important. Usually the strongest and fastest conditioning occurs when the CS is presented about � to one second before the UC. � EXTINCTION - If the CS is presented repeatedly in the absence of the UCS, the CS-CR bond will weaken and the CR will eventually disappear. � STIMULUS GENERALIZATION - Once conditioning has occurred the subject may respond not only to the CS, but to stimuli similar to it. For example, many of our likes and dislikes of new people and situations come from generalization based on similarities to past experiences. � STIMULUS DISCRIMINATION � opposite of stimulus generalization. SD is the ability to detect differences among stimuli. This procedure is sometimes used to test the ability of nonverbal subjects to discriminate among various stimuli, such as color (air puff / eye blink). OPERANT CONDITIONING The organism operates on its environment in some way; the behavior in which it engages are instrumental to achieving some outcome. LAW of EFFECT If a response is followed by a pleasant or satisfying consequence, that response will be strengthened. If a response is followed by an unpleasant or negative state of affairs, it will be weakened. Differences Between Operant and Classical Conditioning 1) In classical conditioning, the conditional behavior (CR) is triggered by the particular stimulus (CS) and is therefore called an elicited behavior. Operant behavior is an emitted behavior in the sense that it occurs in a situation containing many stimuli and seems to be initiated by the organism. In a sense the subject chooses when and how to respond. 2) In classical conditioning, behavior (CR) is affected by something that occurs before the behavior (the CS-UCS pairing). In contrast, the operant response is affected by what happens after the behavior � that is by its consequences. Positive Reinforcement Any stimulus or event that increases the likelihood of the occurrence of a behavior that it follows. Shaping Shaping is the method of successive approximations. Shaping reinforces the behaviors as they get closer and closer to the desired behavior. Negative Reinforcement Negative Reinforcement is anything that increases a behavior that results in the reinforcers removal. Operant conditioning, also known as instrumental conditioning, is a method of learning normally attributed to B.F. Skinner, where the consequences of a response determine the probability of it being repeated. Through operant conditioning behavior which is reinforced (rewarded) will likely be repeated, and behavior which is punished will occur less frequently. By the 1920s, John B. Watson had left academic psychology, and other behaviorists were becoming influential, proposing new forms of learning other than classical conditioning. Perhaps the most important of these was Burrhus Frederic Skinner. Although, for obvious reasons, he is more commonly known as B.F. Skinner. Skinner's views were slightly less extreme than those of Watson (1913). Skinner believed that we do have such a thing as a mind, but that it is simply more productive to study observable behavior rather than internal mental events. The work of Skinner was rooted in a view that classical conditioning was far too simplistic to be a complete explanation of complex human behavior. He believed that the best way to understand behavior is to look at the causes of an action and its consequences. He called this approach operant conditioning. BF Skinner: Operant ConditioningSkinner is regarded as the father of Operant Conditioning, but his work was based on Thorndike’s (1898) law of effect. According to this principle, behavior that is followed by pleasant consequences is likely to be repeated, and behavior followed by unpleasant consequences is less likely to be repeated. Skinner introduced a new term into the Law of Effect - Reinforcement. behavior which is reinforced tends to be repeated (i.e., strengthened); behavior which is not reinforced tends to die out-or be extinguished (i.e., weakened). Skinner (1948) studied operant conditioning by conducting experiments using animals which he placed in a 'Skinner Box' which was similar to Thorndike’s puzzle box. What strengthens behavior in operant conditioning?Positive reinforcement is a term described by B. F. Skinner in his theory of operant conditioning. In positive reinforcement, a response or behavior is strengthened by rewards, leading to the repetition of desired behavior. The reward is a reinforcing stimulus.
What is the operant behavior in operant conditioning?Operant behavior is behavior “controlled” by its consequences. In practice, operant conditioning is the study of reversible behavior maintained by reinforcement schedules. We review empirical studies and theoretical approaches to two large classes of operant behavior: interval timing and choice.
What is reinforcement in operant conditioning?Reinforcement is defined as a consequence that follows an operant response that increase (or attempts to increase) the likelihood of that response occurring in the future.
What are the 4 components of operant conditioning?There are 4 elements that describe operant conditioning:. positive reinforcement;. negative reinforcment;. punishment;. extinction.. |
