What´s Operant Conditioning?

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What is Operant Conditioning? According to the Psychology in Modules book, Operant Conditioning is described as, a type of learning in which behavior is strengthened if followed by a reinforcer or diminished if followed by a punisher (pg. 290). A reinforcer simply known as a reinforcement is described as, any event that strengthens the behavior that follows. Unlike a reinforcement, a punisher known as a punishment, is described to be something that weakens the behavior. Actions that follow reinforcers are increased and actions that follow punishers are decreased. The behavior that relies on the environment to reward or punish stimuli is called operant behavior. There are many different types of reinforcements. For example, positive and negative …show more content…
Continuous reinforcement schedule is reinforcing the desired response every time it occurs. Intermittent reinforcement schedule is defined as, “reinforcing a response only part of the time; results in slower acquisition of a response but much greater resistance to extinction than does continuous reinforcement.” (Psychology, pg. 293). However, there are four different types of partial reinforcers fixed-ratio, variable-ratio, fixed-interval and variable-interval. Fixed-ratio schedules reinforce behavior after a set number of responses. For example, a dog doing a certain trick and getting a treat after each action. Variable-ratio schedules provide reinforcers after a seemingly unpredictable number of responses. For example, a person playing a lottery ticket, they never know when they will win. Fixed-interval schedules reinforce the first response after a fixed time period. For example, a toddler going to the restroom every thirty minutes exactly gets a candy. Variable-interval schedules reinforce the first response after varying time intervals. For example, a child potty-training and not on a specific schedule to go but gets a reward after the different times the child …show more content…
For example, I have a puppy and I am training her to learn how to sit on command then results in her being rewarded by treats. However, in my situation it would be considered a variable-ratio reinforcement because I never know when my puppy will sit on command, it always unpredicted because she is still learning and does not specifically know that when I say sit she sits then she will get rewarded, she practically just does it when she feels like it. My experience with my puppy will also be an immediate reinforcer because automatically if she sits I immediately feed her a treat so she understands the concept of learning and behaviorism. Another reinforcement I am currently experiencing is a negative reinforcement. I am currently sick and I have a horrible cough which is causing pain so I needed to take medicine to take away my pain and so I can begin to feel better. I also experience delayed reinforcers every month because of my job, I work two weeks straight then I receive my pay check ten days after the two weeks’ end. There are many of the different reinforcers that I encounter in my everyday life without knowing. I personally did not know before I learned about Operant Conditioning and all the different reinforcers, that a lot of my everyday life actions actually have an educational term to

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