5b: Chapter Learning Operant Conditioning & Cognitive Learning What is operant conditioning? Simply put, operant conditioning is a form of learning through consequences. For example... o Does Johnny get dessert if he eats his veggies? o Does Susie lose her TV privileges if she misbehaves? o Will Johnny eat his veggies? Will Susie misbehave? Operant conditioning functions based on rewards and punishments. Thorndike's Law of Effect The consequences of a behavior determine how likely it is to be repeated. Do X => good consequences => Do X again! (reinforcement) Do Y => bad consequences => Dont do Y again! (punishment) Skinner's hungry rat (1930s) When rat presses lever (c), it is rewarded with food (b). What happens then? Why would a rat press a lever in the first place? The operant conditioning paradigm First, some behavior (operant) occurs. That behavior has some consequence. As a result, there is a tendency to repeat that behavior or not in the future. lever press food more lever press Behavior (Operant) => Consequence => Conditioned (learned) Response Operant Conditioning: The Elements There are two possible consequences: o reinforcement good consequences always increases the likelihood that the behavior will be repeated. o punishment bad consequences always decreases the likelihood that the behavior will be repeated. o negative reinforcement (not punishment) There are two ways in which these consequences can occur: o something is added (+), or given o something is subtracted (-), or taken away
Operant Conditioning: The Elements (cont.) Something desired... o ... is Added (+) Positive Reinforcement e.g., giving Johnny dessert when he eats his veggies increases the likelihood that he will eat his veggies in the future o ... is Taken Away (Negative) Punishment e.g., taking away Susies TV privileges when she misbehaves decreases the likelihood that she will misbehave in the future Something aversive... o ... is Added (+) (Positive) Punishment e.g., giving Susie additional household chores when she misbehaves decreases the likelihood that she will misbehave in the future o ... is Taken Away (-) Negative Reinforcement e.g., not nagging anymore when Johnny eats his veggies increases the likelihood that he will eat his veggies in the future Operant Conditioning: Terms & Concepts Shaping... rewards successive approximations of a target behavior. o Thats why a rat would press a lever in the first Extinction... place. is the disappearance of a conditioned behavior when it is no longer reinforced. Generalization... occurs when a conditioned behavior occurs under conditions similar to the ones under which it was originally reinforced. Discrimination... involves learning the differences between a behavior that has been reinforced and similar behaviors that are not reinforced. Reinforcement: Examples positive reinforcement o using an ATM o smiling at people on the street o studying for an exam (an ,,A) negative reinforcement o paying bills to stop late charges from accruing o turning on the air conditioning o getting out of bed to stop the toilet from running o addiction o studying for an exam (anxiety) o escape & avoidance learning
Reinforcement Schedules Ratio schedules o based on number of responses Interval schedules o based on the passage of time Fixed schedules o consistent ratios/intervals Variable schedules o inconsistent ratios/intervals o function on ,,average rations/intervals Reinforcement Schedules cont. Ratio o Fixed Ratio reinforcement is given for every Nth behavior e.g., factory work results in fast, steady behavior (with a pause after large ratios) o Variable Ratio reinforcement is not given for every response (only, on average, every Nth behavior) e.g., slot machines results in fast, steady behavior Interval o Fixed Interval reinforcement is given every Nth period of time e.g., studying for monthly exams results in a burst of activity at the end of the fixed interval (with a slowdown after each reinforcement) o Variable Interval reinforcement is given only periodically (on average, every Nth period of time) e.g., pop quizzes results in slow, steady behavior
Classical vs. Operant Conditioning Classical conditioning o S => R o passive learning o simple learning o built on a reflex o reinforcement = pairing (CS+US) Operant conditioning o R => S (=> R) o active learning o complex learning o built on a voluntary behavior o reinforcement = consequence On your own... Cognitive Learning Kohler o insight o the chimps & bananas study o the "A-HA!" experience Tolman o latent learning o the rats in mazes study o you dont know what they know until you reward them Bandura o observational learning, or modeling o the Bobo doll study vicarious learning o elicitation when others know what to do o disinhibition when others get away with it o inhibition when others get caught