Operant conditioning

• Reinforcement - positive or negative consequences that increase the likelihood of an action being repeated
• Punishment - consequence that decreases the likelihood of an action being repeated
• Negative reinforcement - removing something unpleasant to encourage desired behaviour
• Operant conditioning - learning by association between actions and their outcomes (principle of learning by consequence)
• Extinction - stopping reinforcement so behaviour stops
• Positive reinforcement - a reward for a desired behaviour, which increases the likelihood of that behaviour being repeated
• Skinner’s box

  The box contained a response lever which allowed the release of a food pellet when pressed.

  The floor was metal which allowed Skinner to administer an electric shock to the rat.
• Skinner’s observation

  • When the rat learned it would get a food pellet when it pressed the lever it continued pressing - positive reinforcement.
  • When the rat learned that pressing the lever turned off the electrified floor it continued pressing - negative reinforcement.
  • When the rat learned that pressing the lever would lead to the floor becoming electrified it stopped doing so - punishment.
• Continuous reinforcement schedule


  Reward is given every time the behaviour is performed
• Variable ratio schedule 


  Reward is given at unpredictable intervals
• Response is voluntary
• Responses are reinforced
• Explains maintenance of response