PSYA01H3 Chapter Notes - Chapter 7.7: Operant Conditioning Chamber, Reward System, Classical Conditioning
7.7 Operant Conditioning: Reinforcements from the Environment
The study of classical conditioning is the study of behaviours that are reactive
These animals exhibit these responses involuntarily during the conditioning
process
Operant conditioning: a type of learning in which the consequences of an
organism’s behavior determine whether it will be repeated in the future
The study of operant conditioning is the exploration of behaviours that are active
7.8 The Development of Operant Conditioning: The law of Effect
Thorndike’s research focused on instrumental behaviours, that is, behavior that
required an organism to do something, solve a problem, or otherwise manipulate
elements of its environment
Used a puzzle box
Cats became skilled at triggering the lever for their release
Thorndike developed the law of effect, which states that behaviours are followed
by a “satisfying state of affairs” tend to be repeated and those that produce an
“unpleasant state of affairs” are less likely to be repeated
In classical-conditioning experiments, the US occurred on every training trial no
matter what the animal did
In Thorndike’s work, the behavior of the animal determined what happened next
If the behavior was “correct”, the animal was rewarded with food
Incorrect behaviours produced no results and the animal was stuck in the box until
it performed the correct behaviour
7.9 B. F. Skinner: The Role of Reinforcement and Punishment
In Skinner’s system, all of these emitted behaviours “operated” on the
environment in some manner, and the environment responded by providing
events that either strengthened those behaviours or made them less likely to
occur
Developed Skinner Box: observe the behavior of small organisms in a controlled
environment
Skinner’s approach to the study of learning focused on reinforcement and
punishment
Reinforcer: is any stimulus or event that functions to increase the likelihood of
the behavior that led to it
Punisher: is any stimulus or event that functions to decrease the likelihood of
the behavior that led to it
Positive reinforcement (where a rewarding stimulus is presented)
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
The study of classical conditioning is the study of behaviours that are reactive. These animals exhibit these responses involuntarily during the conditioning process. Operant conditioning: a type of learning in which the consequences of an organism"s behavior determine whether it will be repeated in the future. The study of operant conditioning is the exploration of behaviours that are active. 7. 8 the development of operant conditioning: the law of effect. Thorndike"s research focused on instrumental behaviours, that is, behavior that required an organism to do something, solve a problem, or otherwise manipulate elements of its environment. Cats became skilled at triggering the lever for their release. Thorndike developed the law of effect, which states that behaviours are followed by a satisfying state of affairs tend to be repeated and those that produce an. Unpleasant state of affairs are less likely to be repeated. In classical-conditioning experiments, the us occurred on every training trial no matter what the animal did.
