Chapter Outline American Learning/Operant Conditioning

Chapter 5
Learning
Chapter Outline
OC/American Learning
Emitted

Operant conditioning: is a form of learning in which behavior is maintained, or changed, through consequences. (Politicians changing tactics because of opinion polls, cheers, boos) A process through which organisms learn to repeat behaviors that yield positive outcomes; or that permit them to avoid or escape from negative emotions.

I Consequential operations
A. Reinforcement: a procedure by which the application or removal of a stimulus increases the strength of a specific behavior. Both positive and negative strengthen, or increase, behavior.
1. Positive reinforcers: stimuli that strengthen responses that precedes them.
a. Premack Principle: the principle that a more preferred activity can be used to reinforce a less preferred activity. (Clean room, then play. Eat vegetables, then dessert)
2. Negative reinforcers: stimuli that strengthen responses that permits the organism to avoid or escape from their presence. (Getting up early to avoid loud alarm. Giving in before a tantrum escalates)
B. Punishment: a procedure by which the application or removal of a stimulus decreases the strength of a behavior.
1. Positive punishment: behavior followed by a punisher. (drivers ed to avoid suspension = neg reinforcer, ticket for speeding = punisher)
2. Negative punishment: the rate of a behavior is weakened or decreased because it is linked to the loss of potential reinforcement. (Time-out)

II Basic principles (how to establish behaviors)
A. Shaping: a technique in which closer and closer approximations to desired behavior are required for the delivery of positive reinforcement. (animal training, swim lessons)
B. Chaining: a procedure that establishes a sequence of responses that lead to a reward following the terminal or final response in the chain.
1. Operant conditioning proceeds faster as the magnitude of the reward that follows increases.
2. Reward delay: amount of time that elapses before the reward is delivered. Longer delays = produce poorer levels of performance.
3. Impulsiveness: choosing smaller, immediate rewards over rewards of greater value one must wait to receive.

III Schedules of reinforcement: rules determining when and how reinforcements will be delivered.
A. Continuous reinforcement schedule CRF: a schedule of reinforcement in which every occurrence of a particular behavior is reinforced.
B. Fixed-interval schedule: a schedule of reinforcement in which a specific interval of time must elapse before a response will yield reinforcement. (No studying after test, yet studying increases as next test approaches.)
C. Variable interval schedule: (random rewards, supervisor visits at random times, random drug tests, leads to steady work) A schedule of reinforcement in which a variable amount of time must elapse before a response will yield reinforcement.
D. Fixed ration schedule: a schedule of reinforcement in which reinforcement occurs only after a fixed number of responses have been emitted. (Piece workers. Steady work, small dip after pay)
E. Variable ratio schedule: (respond in high and steady rates…..slot machines) a schedule of reinforcement in which reinforcement is determined after a variable number of responses have been performed. (resistant to extinction)
F. Concurrent schedule of reinforcement: a reinforcement schedule in which two or more schedules are available.

Discriminative stimulus: signals the availability of reinforcement if a specific response is made.

Stimulus control: when a behavior occurs consistently in the presence of a discriminative stimulus. (Mr. Yuk)