4.2.1 Skinner's Research

• What are the two main types of consequences in operant conditioning?

  Reinforcement and punishment
• Reinforcement in operant conditioning increases the likelihood of a behavior
• Punishment in operant conditioning decreases the likelihood of a behavior.
• Who is best known for research on operant conditioning?

  B.F. Skinner
• Skinner developed the Skinner box to study animal behavior
• Skinner's box typically includes a lever, a reward dispenser, and a device for delivering mild electric shocks.
• What does pressing the lever in Skinner's box associate with in positive reinforcement?

  Receiving a reward
• Skinner's box uses direct consequences to influence behavior, unlike observational learning.
• How does operant conditioning differ from classical conditioning?

  Behavior and outcome association
• In operant conditioning, associations are made between a behavior and its outcome
• Skinner's work shaped the understanding of how consequences influence behavior.
• What do researchers use Skinner's box to observe systematically?

  How consequences affect behavior
• Positive reinforcement in operant conditioning involves the addition of a pleasing stimulus.
• In Skinner's box, what increases the likelihood of an animal pressing a lever again in positive reinforcement?

  Receiving a food pellet
• Negative reinforcement involves the removal of an unpleasant stimulus.
• In Skinner's box, rats might press a lever to stop an electric shock
• What is the effect of removing an unpleasant stimulus in negative reinforcement?

  Increases behavior likelihood
• Positive punishment involves the addition of an unpleasant stimulus to decrease a behavior.
• What might happen to rats in Skinner's box after pressing a lever in positive punishment?

  Receive a mild electric shock
• Positive punishment differs from negative punishment as it adds an unpleasant stimulus
• Skinner's box is used to study operant conditioning.
• In operant conditioning, animals learn to associate behaviors with consequences.
• Unlike classical conditioning, Skinner's box involves direct consequences influencing behavior.
• Positive reinforcement involves adding a pleasant stimulus to increase a behavior.
• In Skinner's box, a rat receives a food pellet after pressing a lever.
• Negative reinforcement involves removing an unpleasant stimulus to increase a behavior.
• Negative reinforcement makes a behavior more likely by removing an unpleasant stimulus.
• Positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement both increase the likelihood of a behavior.
• Positive punishment decreases the likelihood of a behavior by adding an unpleasant stimulus.
• Unlike negative punishment, positive punishment adds an unpleasant stimulus.
• Negative punishment decreases the likelihood of a behavior by removing a pleasant stimulus.
• Negative punishment and positive punishment both decrease the likelihood of a behavior.
• Steps in the shaping process

  1️⃣ Identify target behavior

  2️⃣ Break down steps

  3️⃣ Reinforce first approximation

  4️⃣ Gradually increase expectations

  5️⃣ Reach target behavior
• Schedules of reinforcement govern when a behavior is reinforced.
• Match each reinforcement schedule with its effect on behavior:

  Fixed Ratio ↔️ High response rate, pause after reinforcement

  Variable Ratio ↔️ High, steady response rate

  Fixed Interval ↔️ Response rate increases as interval ends

  Variable Interval ↔️ Moderate, steady response rate
• Variable schedules of reinforcement produce more consistent behavior than fixed schedules.
• What type of reinforcement schedule involves reinforcement after a fixed number of responses?

  Fixed Ratio
• Variable schedules produce more consistent behavior than fixed schedules.
• There are four main types of reinforcement schedules in operant conditioning.
• What type of reinforcement schedule involves reinforcement after an unpredictable number of responses?

  Variable Ratio