Learning- Operant Conditioning

• Operant conditioning


  A type of learning whereby the consequence of a behaviour determines the likelihood that it will be performed in the future
• Operant conditioning proposes that someone will tend to repeat a behaviour that has a desirable consequence or that will enable it to avoid undesirable consequences
• An individual will not repeat a behaviour that has undesirable consequences
• Consequences in operant conditioning

  • Positive consequences strengthen the behaviour and make it likely to recur
  • Negative consequences weaken the behaviour and make it less likely to recur
• Classical conditioning


  Involves an involuntary, reflexive process
• Three-Phase Model of Operant Conditioning


  Relationship between behaviour, its antecedents, and its consequences
• Three parts of the three-phase model

  • Antecedent (A)
  • The Behaviour (B)
  • The Consequence (C)
• Antecedent (A)


  A stimulus that occurs before the behaviour
• The Behaviour (B)


  Occurs due to the antecedent
• The Consequence (C)


  The environmental event that occurs immediately after the behaviour
• The antecedent (A) must be present for the relevant behaviour to occur
• The behaviour is the voluntary action that occurs in the presence of an antecedent stimulus
• The consequence has an effect on the occurrence of the behaviour
• Reinforcement


  A process in which a stimulus strengthens or increases the frequency or likelihood of a response that it follows
• Reinforcer


  Any stimulus (reward) that strengthens or increases the frequency/likelihood of a response/behaviour that follows it
• Positive reinforcement


  The adding of a desirable consequence following a response
• Negative reinforcement


  The removal of an unpleasant stimulus following a response
• Schedule of reinforcement


  A program for giving reinforcement: specifically the frequency and manner in which the desired response is reinforced
• Types of reinforcement schedules

  • Continuous schedules
  • Partial schedules
• Continuous schedule


  • Every instance of a desired behaviour is reinforced
• Continuous reinforcement leads to quick learning but also quick extinction
• Partial reinforcement schedules


  • Only reinforce the desired behaviour occasionally
  • More resistant to extinction
• Fixed schedule


  • The number of responses or amount of time between reinforcements is set and unchanging
• Variable schedule


  • The number of responses or amount of time between reinforcements changes randomly
• Ratio schedule


  • Occurs after a certain number of responses have been performed
• Interval schedule


  • Involves reinforcing a behaviour after a period of time has passed
• Ratio schedules produce higher response rates compared to interval schedules
• Variable schedules produce more consistent behaviour than fixed schedules
• Resistance to extinction


  How long a behaviour continues to be displayed even after it is no longer being reinforced
• Schedules that reinforce unpredictably are more resistant to extinction
• The variable-ratio schedule is more resistant to extinction than the fixed-ratio schedule
• The variable-interval schedule is more resistant to extinction than the fixed-interval schedule
• In the fixed-ratio schedule, resistance to extinction increases as the ratio increases
• In the fixed-interval schedule, resistance to extinction increases as the interval lengthens in time
• The variable-ratio is the schedule most resistant to extinction
• This can help to explain addiction to gambling