PSYC 6 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Operant Conditioning Chamber, Classical Association, Intellectual Disability

• School: Irvine Valley College
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 6
• Professor: cassens

Document Summary

Operant conditioning- learning that a particular behavior leads to a particular outcome. Actions consequences determine likelihood that action will be repeated. Operant- actions and associations that the animal can control. Classical- association between events that cannot be controlled. Originally chickens, then cats, put in box where they accidentally stepped on a lever, which opened the door and cat could eat, which then happened faster in subsequent trials. Any behavior that leads to a satisfying state of affairs is likely to occur again. Any behavior leading to an annoying state of affairs is less likely. B. f. skinner inspired by behaviorism, by john b. watson, and pavlov, but did not like to study introspection introspection- verbal reports to assess mental states. Behaviorists- if psychologists wanted to be scientists, must study observable actions. Claimed satisfaction was not empirical, but rather used the term reinforcement. Reinforcement- stimulus that occurs after a response and increases the likelihood that the response will be repeated.