OPERANT CONDITIONING - created from Mind Map

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Operant Conditioning is a form of learning for which the likelihood of a particular response occurring is determined by the consequences of that response. Also known as instrumental conditioning.

3-PHASE MODEL

KEY PROCESSES

ANTECEDENT (DISCRIMINATIVE STIMULIS)

BEHAVIOUR (RESPONSE)

CONSEQUENCE

Events that precede behaviour. Cue and motivation to perform behaviour

The way in which an animal or person behaves in response to a particular situation or stimulus.

A result or effect

SATISFYING / DESIRABLE

FACTORS AFFECTING EFFICIENCIES

SCHEDULE OF DELIVERY

Positive Reinforcement - Giving something good. E.g. Getting money for washing the dishes

UNSATISFYING / UNDESIRABLE

Negative Reinforcement - Taking away something bad. E.g. Having your chores taken away for a week for getting a good grade on a SAC

Strengthens behaviour. Learner more likely to repeat this behaviour

Punishment - Giving something bad. E.g. Getting scolded for coming home past curfew

Response Cost - Taking away something good / valuable. E.g. Having your phone taken off you for disobeying your parents

Weakens behaviour. Learner less likely to repeat behaviour

Order - Reinforcement or punishment needs to occur after response, not before.

Timing - Reinforcement or punishment needs to occur as close in time to the desired response as possible.

Appropriateness - For a stimulus to be a reinforcer (or punishment), it must provide a pleasing (or unpleasant) consequence for its recipient

Continuous - Reinforcing every correct response after it occurs. Good for acquisition

Partial - reinforcing some correct responses but not all of them. Good for maintaining conditioned response

FIXED

VARIABLE

Fixed Interval - Reinforcement is given AFTER a set/fixed period of time following a correct response

Fixed Ratio - Reinforcement is given AFTER a set number of correct responses

Example: Giving yourself a break for every hour you study

Example: An apple picker gets paid $25 for every two buckets of apple filled

Variable Interval - Reinforcement is given RANDOMLY AFTER and AVERAGE period of time following a correct response

Variable Ratio - Reinforcement is given RANDOMLY AFTER an AVERAGE number of correct responses

Example: Receiving pocket money every two weeks on average for doing chores

Example: A dog receiving a reward on average for every second response of sitting up when commanded to 'sit'

Acquisition - The establishment of a response through reinforcement

Stimulus Generalisation - Occurs when the correct response is made to another stimulus which is similar to the original stimulus for which reinforcement is obtained

Extinction - The gradual decrease in the strength or rate of responding after a period of non-reinforcement. Occurs after the termination of reinforcement

Stimulus Discrimination - Organism makes response to a stimulus for which reinforcement is obtained but not for any other similar stimulus

Spontaneous Recovery - After a rest period, the response is shown again in the absence of reinforcement