PSYCH 1X03 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Puzzle Box, Mandelbrot Set, Reinforcement
9 May 2016
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Document Summary
Instrumental conditioning: explicit training between voluntary behaviours and their consequences. Edward l. thorndike: studied cats in a puzzle box, focused on overt behavior rather than mental elements/conscious experiences, experiment. Puzzle box was a small chamber with a door that was opened by performing specific behavior (e. g. pulling on a rope) Small dish of food was placed outside as motivation. Several trials with cat in box and data collected based on behaviours and escape times: expected reaction. Later trials in same box would show a drastic decrease in escape time after discovery: actual reaction. Frequency of random behaviours gradually decreased over time. Long trial-and-error process of discovery: hypothesized process as stamping in and stamping out . Law of effect: behaviours with positive consequences are stamped in; performed more frequently, those with negative consequences are stamped out. Reinforcer: any stimulus, which, when presented after a response, leads to a change in the rate of that response.
