Skinners research

• aim:: study operant conditioning
• He invented a cage called the skinner box in order to investigate operant conditioning
• The rats moved around the cage and accidentally activated the lever which released a food pallet (reinforcer)
• Skinner observed that the hungry rat began to press the lever in order to obtain food
• He observed that rats could be conditioned be conditioned to perform the same behaviour (lever pressing) in order to avoid unpleasant stimulus such as an electric shock
• Positive reinforcement- receiving reward when a desirable behaviour is performed
• Negative reinforcement- when an undesired consequence is avoided by performing a particular behaviour
• Punishment- an unpleasant consequence of behaviour
• Positive punishment- add aversive stimulus to decrease behaviour
• Negative punishment- remove pleasant stimulus to decrease behaviour
• Negative reinforcement- remove aversive stimulus to increase/ maintain behaviour