Transcript Classical Conditioning

Part 2 - Operant Conditioning
What connects these images?
What connects these images?
 Answer: They all have to do with ways to motivate
behavior through punishments and rewards.
Definition:
 Operant Conditioning is a kind of learning in which
the consequences that follow some behavior increase
or decrease whether that behavior will happen again.
Classical vs. Operant Conditioning
Classical Conditioning
Behavior is determined
by what PRECEDES it.
Operant Conditioning
Behavior is determined
by anticipation of what
FOLLOWS it.
Involuntary
Voluntary
Dog salivates after a
bell.
Dog sits in anticipation
of getting a treat.
Classical or Operant?
A very bright (mildly
painful) light is turned on
a rat. The rat has learned
that he can turn off the
light by pressing a lever
on the other side of his
cage. As soon as the light
comes on, the rat runs
across the room and
presses the lever.
Classical or Operant?
When a mother strokes her
infant’s skin, the stroking
creates pleasure responses
in the baby. After this goes
on for many days, the baby
begins to show pleasure
responses simply at the
sight of her mother (even
before being touched).
Classical or Operant?
Imagine you have a friend who keeps
the temperature in her home so
high that each occasion on
which you visit her you find
yourself perspiring. The last
time you visited her, you
noticed that you began to
perspire and became
uncomfortable as soon as you
saw her house (even before you
got inside).
Classical or Operant?
A patient in a mental hospital is very
disruptive at mealtimes. She grabs
food from the plates of those sitting
near her and tries to cram the food in
her mouth. Because this behavior of
stealing food is very undesirable, a
plan is developed whereby every time
the patient steals food from other
plates, she is immediately taken to a
room without food.
Classical or Operant?
Alice leaves her clothes and toys all over her room. It
seems that the only time she cleans up her room is
when her mother yells at her. When she yells at
her, Alice picks up her clothes and put away her
toys.
What, a video curveball? You mean I
have to think for myself?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYxUdPj-EEY
No more crying!
 How can operant conditioning apply to babies?
John Watson’s Childcare Advice:
Reinforcement vs. Punishment
 Reinforcement – any event that encourages a behavior
 Punishment – any event that discourages a behavior
Types of Reinforcment
 positive (adding) or negative (taking away)
 How can these two types apply to our daily lives?
Reinforcement Schedules
 fixed ratio – set number (every three times you
raise your hand I call on you)
 variable ratio – unpredictable number of responses
(slot machine)
 fixed interval – set amount of time (pay you every
hour)
 variable interval – unpredictable amount of time
(fishing)
Superstition
 BF Skinner – “radical behavioralist”
 Wanted to demonstrate that uniquely human
behaviors were the product of conditioning.
 Starved 8 pigeons. Then rewarded them with
food every 15 s, no matter what they did.
 Results:
 6 of 8 bird developed superstitions
 Turning counter-clockwise in a circle
 Thrusting head toward a specific corner of cage
 “tossing” an imaginary ball with its head
 Head bobbing with accompanying steps (2 birds)
 “fake” pecking
Superstition (cont)
 Follow up studies:
 Gradually increased time between
rewards to 1 min – bird behaviors
became more pronounced (head
bobbing/stepping looked like a
dance)
 Removed reward altogether to
create extinction – pigeons showed
resistance to extinction (one pigeon
repeated behavior over 10,000 times
before quitting).
 What are your superstitions? How
are they rewarded?
 Bowling superstitions
Can reward go too far?
 Overjustification Effect
 What happens when there is a ridiculously high reward
for something you might do anyway?
Overjustification Effect
 When we are rewarded
for behaviors that we
naturally enjoy, we
sometimes lose our
intrinsic motivation.
 How can this relate to
learning and grades?
 What about
professional athletes?
Criticism:
 Biggest problem:
 With the theory of behaviorism and operant
conditioning: it assumes we lack free will.
 Can you think of examples of when someone would
forego reward or endure pain when they do not have to?