Kick Off

Choose a partner. Designate one person as the experimenter and one as the subject.

Each person take (1) a Soar Card and (2) a black spot of death.

Take the slip from the table that pertains to you. Follow each dialogue set. They are organized by number.

Kick Off

Look at the chart. Out of these examples, please identify which slip corresponds to each of the following: positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, positive punishment, negative punishment

Subject- Give the experimenter a high five.Experimenter- Make a sarcastic sound and take away the subject’s Soar Card.

Subject- Give the experimenter a high five.Experimenter- Say, “Thanks a lot!” and give the subject your Soar Card.

Subject- Give the experimenter a high five. Experimenter- Scowl at subject and give him/her your black spot.

Subject- Give the experimenter a high five. Experimenter- Give subject a thumbs up and take his/her black spot away.

Reinforcement

Punishment

Positive •Response strengthened•Presentation of a rewarding stimulus

•Response weakened•Presentation of an unpleasant stimulus

Negative

•Response strengthened•Removal of an unpleasant stimulus

•Response weakened•Removal of a rewarding stimulus

Kick Off- KEY Look at the chart. Out of these examples,

please identify which slip corresponds to each of the following: positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, positive punishment, negative punishment

Subject- Give the experimenter a high five.Experimenter- Make a sarcastic sound and take away the experimenter’s Soar Card. NP

Subject- Give the experimenter a high five.Experimenter- Say, “Thanks a lot!” and give the subject your Soar Card. PR

Subject- Give the experimenter a high five. Experimenter- Scowl at subject and give him/her your black spot. PP

Subject- Give the experimenter a high five. Experimenter- Give subject a thumbs up and take his/her black spot away. NR

Reinforcement

Punishment

Positive •Response strengthened•Presentation of a rewarding stimulus

•Response weakened•Presentation of an unpleasant stimulus

Negative

•Response strengthened•Removal of an unpleasant stimulus

•Response weakened•Removal of a rewarding stimulus

(Spiral) Operant Conditioning VocabularyUse Myers Module 24 (pg. 301)

Definition Law of Effect Shaping Reinforcement Punishment Positive Negative Continuous reinforcement Fixed ratio-schedule Variable-ratio schedule Fixed-interval schedule Latent learning Intrinsic motivation Extrinsic motivation Token economies (look up in

index)

Examples

Step #1: Acquisition and Shaping Acquisition is the initial stage of learning (acquiring) some new pattern of responding. EXAMPLE: The rat must make the connection between pressing the food lever and being reinforced Shaping is the reinforcement of closer and closer approximations of a desired response. Thus, learning becomes a gradual process. EXAMPLE: A rat in a Skinner box initially has no reason to press the food lever, so the experimenter will dispense food pellets every time he moves toward the lever.

Reinforcement Schedules Continuous reinforcement: the desired behavior is reinforced every

single time it occurs. Generally, this schedule is best used during the initial stages of learning in order to create a strong association between the behavior and the response. Once the response if firmly attached, reinforcement is usually switched to a partial reinforcement schedule. EX. Every “A” brings you closer to your goal.

Fixed ratio: a response is reinforced only after a specified number of responses. This schedule produces a high, steady rate of responding with only a brief pause after the delivery of the reinforcer; best used when learning a new behavior. EX. Production Line Work: Workers at a widget factory are paid for every 15 products they make. This results in a high production rate and workers tend to take few breaks. It can, however, lead to burnout and lower-quality work. EX. Collecting Tokens in a Video Game

Reinforcement Schedules, Ctd. Variable-ratio: when a response is reinforced after an unpredictable

number of responses; creates a high steady rate of responding. EX. Gambling and lottery games are good examples of a reward based on a variable ratio schedule. Ex. Slot Machines. EX. Sales Bonuses

Fixed-interval : the first response is rewarded only after a specified amount of time has elapsed. This schedule causes high amounts of responding near the end of the interval, but much slower responding immediately after the delivery of the reinforcer. Results is a fairly significant post-reinforcement pause in responding. Responses tend to increase gradually as the reinforcement time draws closer. EX. Rat: Imagine that you are training a rat to press a lever, but you only reinforce the first response after a ten-minute interval. The rat does not press the bar much during the first 5 minutes after reinforcement, but begins to press the lever more and more often the closer you get to the ten minute mark. EX. A weekly paycheck is a good example of a fixed-interval schedule. The employee receives reinforcement every seven days, which may result in a higher response rate as payday approaches.

Step #2: Reinforcement or Punishment?

Reinforcement is a consequence that occurs after a behavior and increases the chance that the behavior will occur again Punishment is a consequence that occurs after a behavior and decreases the chance that the behavior will occur again.

Sometimes reinforcement and punishment are used together to control some behavior, as in….

Reinforcement

Punishment

Positive •Response strengthened•Presentation of a rewarding stimulus

•Response weakened•Presentation of an unpleasant stimulus

Negative

•Response strengthened•Removal of an unpleasant stimulus

•Response weakened•Removal of a rewarding stimulus

Step #2: Positive or Negative?

NOT or

It’s more like the mathematical version of positive and negative.

or

Positive= you’re adding something in response

Negative= you’re taking something away in response

Escape and Avoidance Learning Escape Learning: an organism acquires a response that decreases or ends some unpleasant stimulus EXAMPLE: Rat learns to escape an electric shock in one department by running into a different department. Avoidance Learning: an organism acquires a response that prevents some aversive stimulation from occurring. EXAMPLE: A light flashes preceding the shock. A rat learns to run to the other department as soon as it sees the light start to flash.

Intrinsic vs Extrinsic

Rats and Motivationhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/a-new-model-of-empathy-the-rat/2011/12/08/gIQAAx0jfO_story.html

(Spiral) Famous Studies Rotations: Operant Conditioning

#11: Knock Wood. Study on pgs. 35-37 of Famous Studies.

Summarize the study in 5 major points. Then define reinforcements and/or

punishments and identify whether they’re positive and negative.

Other Applications of Operant Conditioning

The FAMOUS, FABULOUS Marshmallow Experiment.

How will your kid turn out?

Watch the videos and answer this question: How did the experimenter use operant conditioning to predict these children’s futures?

(Spiral) Operant Conditioning Design

Design a trial in which you train someone or something to perform a certain task using operant conditioning. In your plan, discuss at least the following: Shaping Aquisition Reinforcement

Primary Secondary Positive or negative Reinforcement Schudule

Punishment Positive or negative

Motivation Intrinsic Extrinsic

EXAMPLE•I will shape my husband to rinse his dishes off by thanking him every time he places his dish in the sink instead of on the counter. Then I will thank him only when he runs water over it. Eventually, he will rinse it off on his own (acquisition).•Continuous Reinforcement Schedule: Rewards will be given every time my husband exhibits the acquired behavior•Positive reinforcement/secondary reinforcer: verbal praise•Positive reinforcement/primary reinforcer: Once the behavior is acquired, I will further reinforce it by giving my husband a hug (physical closeness).•Negative Punishment: If he does not rinse his dish off, I will not do the dishes until the next meal (taking away cleanliness from home).•Extrinsic motivation: a verbal praise or a hug•Intrinsic motivation: seeing that the kitchen will be cleaner if he rinses his dishes, which brings a feeling of order and well-being.

How is operant conditioning different from classical conditioning?

Classical ConditioningGoverned by

reflexive processesReacting to a

stimuliStimulus-response

relationshipREACTING

Operant ConditioningGoverned by

voluntary responsesOrganism “operates

on environment”Responses

influenced by the outcomes that follow them

ACTING