LT3 - Behaviourist Approach: Operant Conditioning

LT3 - Behaviourist Approach: Operant Conditioning

1. AO1

   • Skinner's Research
     • Rat Chambers
       • Lever = Food Pellet
         • Quickly learned to do this, until they were full
       • Reinforced Behaviour = Repeated
         • Unreinforced = Extinguished
       • Continuous Shock until lever
       • Shock when lever
         • Trained to repeat/avoid from consequences
   • Punishment
     • Positive
       • Undesired Behaviour = Smth Unpleasant added
         • Given electric shock for lever
     • Negative
       • Undesired behaviour = Smth pleasant removed
         • No food for lever
     • Extinguishing Undesired behaviour
   • Reinforcement
     • Positive
       • Desired behaviour = Add smth pleasant
         • Repeated desired behaviour
       • E.G. Pocket money for cleaning room
     • Negative
       • Desired Behaviour = Remove smth unpleasant
         • Desired behaviour repeated to avoid negative consequences
       • E.G. Remove shock on lever press
     • Schedules
       • Fixed Interval
         • Variable Interval
           • Fixed Ratio
             • Variable Ratio
               • Continuous Reinforcement
                 • When each desired behaviour receives the consequence
                   • E.g. rat press lever = food
               • Reward delivered after a different no. of desired responses
               • NUMBER
             • Reward delivered after a certain number of desired responses
           • Reward delivered at varied time periods after the desired behaviour
           • TIME
         • Reward delivered in fixed time period after the desired behaviour
     • Primary
       • Reinforcer has biological Significance
         • Food
     • Secondary
       • Reinforcer hasbecome associated with biological significance
         • Money
           • Stickers for sweets

2. AO3

   • Strengths
     • P: Positive Applications
       • E1: Token economies
         • E2: INcrease desired behaviour, decresae undesired behaviour
           • L: Treat maladaptive, positive contribution
             • CP: However, especially with continuous reinforcement, might lead to quick change but also quick extinction. Places doubt on usefuleness
   • Weaknesses
     • P: Environmental Determinism
       • E1: Assumes animals to be passive machine-like responders to environment
         • E2: SLT/Cog acknowledges mental events, mediation between stimulus and response, and in +ve, -ve reinforcement
           • L: Doesn't recognise full human complexity
     • P: Based on animals
       • E1: Animals don't reflec ton experience with logic
         • E2: Patience or feelings unlike humans
           • L: Lacklustre generalisability, tough extrapoloation

Images and files in the map