Transcript Operant Conditioning (Types of Reinforcement)

Operant Conditioning
(Types of Reinforcement)
Mr. Koch
Psychology
Forest Lake High School
Operant Conditioning
• Ways to decrease behavior
– Extinction
– Punishment
• Ways to increase behavior
– Pairing
– Positive reinforcement
– Negative reinforcement
Operant Conditioning
Operant Conditioning
• Primary Reinforcers
– Associated with needs
– Not learned
– Ex: food, clothing, shelter
• Secondary Reinforcers
– Associated with something that satisfies a need
– Is learned
– Ex: $$$, poker chips, food stamps, grades
Operant Conditioning
• Positive Reinforcement
– Increases the frequency of a behavior
– Is wanted
– Ex: food, praise, money, awards
• Negative Reinforcement
– Increases behavior by removing something unpleasant
(discomfort, fear, social disapproval, etc)
– “reverse reward”
– Ex: don’t have to do the dishes all week if you get an A
Operant Conditioning
• Punishment
– Consequence that decreases the rate of a behavior
• Important:
– What is reinforcing to one is NOT necessarily to
another
• Ex: Suspension after skipping school = more days off vs. fear
of suspension
– Increases attendance for some, not for others
• Ex: Student forced to stay after school = punishment for
some vs. now getting teacher’s full attention (positive)
Operant Conditioning
(Schedules of Reinforcement)
• Fixed Interval
– based on time
– Reinforced after a set time period
• Ex: bell ringing after class
• Ex: quizzes every Friday
• Variable Interval
– Based on time
– Reinforced randomly at different times
– Resistant to extinction
• Ex: pop quizzes
Operant Conditioning
(Schedules of Reinforcement)
• Fixed Ratio
– Based on responses (behaviors)
– After set # of correct responses
– Easy to extinguish behavior
• Ex: piecework in factories, dog treat every 3rd time trick is
performed
• Variable Ratio
– Reinforce behavior after random number of correct
responses
– Very resistant to extinction (can be addictive)
• Ex: Gambling, fishing
Operant Conditioning
• Avoidance Conditioning
– Eliminate undesirable behavior not yet
present
– Subject taught to avoid stimulus
• Counter Conditioning
– Applies to already learned undesirable
behaviors
– Seeking a new response
– Unlearning old behavior