Psychology Chpt 4 Operant Conditioning

Front 1

Operant Conditioning

Back 1

Learning to associate behaviors with their consequences

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Behaviors are reinforced when they are

Back 2

strengthened (more likely to be produced)

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Behaviors are punished when they are

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weakened

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appetitive stimulus

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is a stimulus that an organism finds pleasing Can be used as a reinforcer or as a punisher.

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Example of appetitive stimulus

Back 5

Food Money

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aversive stimulus

Back 6

s a stimulus that an organism finds unpleasing Can be also a reinforcer or as a punisher.

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Example aversive stimulus

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sickness, social isolation

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positive reinforcement

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appetitive (pleasing) stimulus is presented

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negative reinforcement

Back 9

aversive stimulus is removed

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primary reinforcer

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is innately reinforcing since birth

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primary reinforcer example

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(e.g., food, social contact)

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secondary reinforcer

Back 12

is not innately reinforcing, but gains reinforcing properties 
through learning

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secondary reinforcer example

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(e.g., money, good grades)

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acquisition

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strengthening by reinforcement

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extinction

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the diminishing of the operant response when it is no longer reinforce

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spontaneous recovery

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temporary recovery of the operant response following a break during extinction training

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discriminative stimulus

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It “sets the occasion” for the response to be reinforced

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Stimulus generalization

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is the giving the operant response in the presence of stimuli similar to the discriminative stimulus

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continuous schedule of reinforcement

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Reinforcing every response

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Partial schedules of reinforcement

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reinforce behavior only part of the time

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The partial-reinforcement effect: responses that are reinforced according to a partial schedule (rather than a continuous schedule) are more resistant to

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extinction

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ratio schedule

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based on the number of responses made

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interval schedule

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is based on the amount of time that has elapsed

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fixed schedule

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he number of responses required (ratio) or the amount of time needed (interval) is fixed

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variable schedule

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he number of responses required (ratio) or the amount of time (interval) varies on each trial

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Latent learning

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is learning that occurs but is not demonstrated until there is incentive to do so
For example, students study for classes, but do not openly demonstrate learning until an exam, for which the incentive is a good grade