Understanding Operant Conditioning by Madyson Campbell

B.F. Skinner: The Father of Operant Conditioning

madysondakotacampbell — 2024-10-22 13:53:52 UTC

B.F. Skinner (1904-1990) was an American psychologist who developed the theory of operant conditioning. His work expanded from Edward Thorndike's law of effect and laid the foundation for behaviorism in psychology and education.

Positive Reinforcement in Actions

ceb103 — 2024-10-22 13:57:03 UTC

Example: A teacher praises a student for raising their hand before speaking. This reinforces the desired behavior, making it more likely to occur in the future. If a student gets an answer correct, the teacher can also verbally praise the student by saying "great job, keep up the good work!" This will encourage the student to speak up more and be confident in their answers.

Token Economy Systems

ceb103 — 2024-10-22 13:58:08 UTC

Implement a point or token system where students earn rewards for positive behaviors. These can be exchanged for privileges or small prizes, encouraging ongoing good behavior. Token Economy Systems have three main components:

1. Behavior that the teacher wishes to impose

2. "Tokens" that are earned for positive behavior

3. Exchanging "tokens" for a behavior based reward. These rewards can be a little as 5 extra minutes of recess, or even a piece of candy.

The goal is to eventually get rid of "tokens", so that the student will work for the satisfaction of completing a task with correct behavior.

https://www.pacificautism.org/what-is-a-token-economy-system/

ceb103 — 2024-10-22 13:59:54 UTC

Create agreements between teachers, students, and parents that outline specific behavior goals along with rewards and consequences. This applies operant principles by clearly defining expectations and outcomes.

Positive vs Negative Reinforcement

ean018 — 2024-10-22 14:01:45 UTC

Positive Reinforcement- the encouragement of good behavior by adding a positive stimulus after.

e.g.- A teacher handing out candy after students did well on a test.

Negative Reinforcement- the removal of a negative stimulus/ outcome to strengthen a behavior.

e.g.- A parent removing a chore because their child got a good behavior report

Main Principles of Operant Learning

madysondakotacampbell — 2024-10-22 14:02:13 UTC

1. Reinforcement: Strengthening behavior

a. positive reinforcement (giving a dog a treat when they sit on command)

b. negative reinforcement

c. escape of negative reinforcement (snoozing the alarm clock)

d. active avoidance (studying to avoid getting a bad grade)

2. Punishment: Weakening behavior

a. positive punishment (adding more chores to the list when a child neglects his or her responsibilities)

b. negative punishment (telling the child to go to his or her room for cursing)

Positive Punishment vs Negative Punishment

ean018 — 2024-10-22 14:12:04 UTC

Positive Punishment- Adding an undesirable consequence after an unwanted behavior.

e.g.- A teacher assigning additional homework as punish work.

Negative Punishment- Taking away privileges after an unwanted behavior.

e.g.- Taking away a child's electronics after misbehaving.

madysondakotacampbell — 2024-10-22 14:14:48 UTC

Operant conditioning emerged in the early 20th century as a cornerstone of the behaviorist movement. This movement was a response to methods in psychology that focused on internal thoughts and emotions. Instead, behaviorists like Skinner emphasized observable behaviors and the consequences that shaped them.

Operant conditioning became highly influential in psychology, education, behavioral therapy, and animal training. This is because it offered a structured approach to understanding and modifying behavior through consequences.

Who was the founder of Operant Conditioning?

ean018 — 2024-10-22 14:18:59 UTC

A. Lev Vygotsky

B. B.F. Skinner

C. John B. Watson

Reinforcement Schedule

dariellelarissa — 2024-10-22 14:26:34 UTC

Rules that determine how often an organism is reinforced for a particular behavior

2 types

time based - reinforcement is delivered after a time marker
ratio based - reinforcement is delivered after a certain number of responses

Time Based

dariellelarissa — 2024-10-22 14:30:39 UTC

Fixed interval reinforcement : reinforcement given after a specified amount of time

James gets a lollipop every hour

Response rate is medium

Extinction rate is medium

Time Based

dariellelarissa — 2024-10-22 14:33:39 UTC

Variable interval : reinforcement is given at unpredictable times

James got an answer right in class and at the end of the school day the teacher gives him a lollipop

Response rate is fast

Extinction rate is slow

What was Project Pigeon also known as?

madysondakotacampbell — 2024-10-22 14:34:39 UTC

A. Project Orcon

B. The Purple Pigeon Eater Project

C. Project 543

D. The Pigeon Explosion Project of WW2

Ratio Based

dariellelarissa — 2024-10-22 14:36:32 UTC

Variable ratio : subject is reinforced after an unpredictable number of responses

James gets a lollipop on Monday after answering 1 question correctly BUT gets a lollipop after 3 correct answers on Tuesday

Slow response rate

Fast extinction rate

Ratio Based

dariellelarissa — 2024-10-22 14:38:28 UTC

Fixed ratio : behavior is reinforced only after it occurs a specific number of times

James receives a lollipop every single time he answers a question correctly in class

Fast response rate

Medium extinction rate

When did Operant Conditioning emerge?

madysondakotacampbell — 2024-10-22 14:39:32 UTC

A. The late 90s

B. 900 B.C.

C. 1837

D. The 20th Century

Response and Extinction Rates

dariellelarissa — 2024-10-22 14:41:10 UTC

Response rate : rate at which the desirable behavior occurs

how often does James answer a question correctly

Extinction rate : rate at which desirable behavior dies out

how long does it take for James to stop answering questions correctly, or answering questions at all

Explaining the graph

dariellelarissa — 2024-10-22 14:43:01 UTC

Lines going from bottom to top represent response rate:

Steeper lines indicate faster response rates

Lines extruding from main line represent extinction rate:

Plateaued lines represent slow extinction rates

If Billy gets a sticker every time he gets a question right, this is an example of

dariellelarissa — 2024-10-24 18:45:17 UTC

a) variable interval

b) variable ratio

c) fixed ratio

d) fixed interval

If Marie gets to move her clip up after every hour that she has been well behaved, this is an example of

dariellelarissa — 2024-10-24 18:47:03 UTC

a) fixed interval

b) fixed ratio

c) variable ratio

d) variable interval

Shapes and Reinforces Behavior

peytonmckinnon5 — 2024-10-29 03:55:43 UTC

Operant conditioning is important in education because it helps shape student behavior and learning through reinforcement and consequences.
By using positive reinforcement (like praise or rewards), teachers can encourage desirable behaviors, such as completing assignments or participating in class.
Negative reinforcement or consequences, like removing distractions, can help decrease unwanted behaviors.

Prepares students for the real world

peytonmckinnon5 — 2024-10-29 04:08:30 UTC

Operant Conditioning is all about consequences; both good and bad
Helps students learn that your actions can have a real effect on how your life will turn out.
Teaches students valuable lessons in responsibility, accountability, and self-regulation.
By learning these lessons in a structured environment, students are better equipped to understand the cause-and-effect nature of real-life situations, helping them succeed in both personal and professional settings.

What is NOT a valuable lesson operant conditioning can teach students?

peytonmckinnon5 — 2024-10-29 04:13:20 UTC

A. Responsibility

B. Accountability

C. Self-Regulation

D. Selfishness