PSY 217 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Morphine, Sexual Stimulation, Operant Conditioning
Document Summary
Measure: how long does it take for cat to escape box and get food. Learning curve: cat escapes more quickly with repeated exposure to setting. Law of effect: responses that produce satisfying outcomes will be. Stamped in. responses that produce annoying outcomes will be. Modern versions of the law of effect: Operant behavior is a function of its consequences. The strength of an operant behavior depends on its consequences. Operant chamber/ skinner boxes - rats, pigeons. The increase in probability must occur because the response produced the consequence. When these 3 features are met, we call the consequence a reinforcer. Key distinction = how the environment changes as a function of the behavior. In positive reinforcement, a response results in the presentation (or addition) of a stimulus. In negative reinforcement, a response results in the removal or prevention of a stimulus. Escape: putting jacket on after stepping out into cold. Avoidance: putting jacket on before stepping out into cold.
