PSYC 1000 Chapter Notes - Chapter 6: Reinforcement, B. F. Skinner, Operant Conditioning

• School: University of Guelph
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 1000
• Professor: Paula Barata

Document Summary

Operant conditioning: type of learning in which behaviour is learned by consequences. Reinforcement: process in which an event/reward following a response increases the chance the response will occur again. Primary reinforcers: reinforcing stimuli that satisfy basic motivational needs (survival) Secondary reinforcers: stimuli that acquire their reinforcing effects only after we learn that they have value. Time it took cats to escape from puzzle box. Cats were able to escape more rapidly when they learned which responses worked. Law of effect: responses followed by satisfaction will occur again, while responses not followed by satisfaction become less likely. Reinforcer: stimulus that is contingent upon a response, which increases the probability that that response will occur again. Punishment: process that decreases future probability of a response. Positive punishment: process in which a behaviour decreases in frequency because it was followed by an unpleasant stimulus. Negative punishment: occurs when a behaviour decreases because it removes or diminishes a stimulus.