Lecture Notes Operant Conditioning/American Learning

Chapter 5
Learning
American Learning/Operant Conditioning

American Learning or Operant Conditioning is a learning process whereby the behavior of the subject is modified as a consequence of his/her own behavior.

Primary reinforcer: a reinforcer that functions as a reinforcer without any training.

In OC the frequency with which a particular behavior is emitted by an organism is increased if the behavior is reinforced.

Discriminative Stimulus: tells the organism when to emit the response, and when to avoid the response. Ex: be afraid of bees, not flies.

Shaping: establishing a new behavior in American Learning. Shaping is reinforcing or rewarding behavior that approximates the final desired behavior. (Like animal training)

In the language of operant conditioning, money and personal esteem are secondary positive reinforcers.

The best method for establishing a new behavior is by using a continuous reinforcement schedule.

A negative reinforcer tends to strengthen the behavior it follows.

Most research indicates that the optimal CS-UCS Interpol when all other variables are held constant is between .2 and 2.0 seconds.

Stimulus discrimination: the process by which organisms learn to respond to certain stimuli and not respond to others.