Operant Conditioning Lecture Notes

Introduction to Operant Conditioning

• Operant conditioning involves increasing or decreasing behavior through consequences.
• Example: Dog pooping on carpet can be addressed by reinforcement or punishment.

Types of Reinforcement and Punishment

• Positive Reinforcement: Adding something pleasant (e.g., a cookie) to increase behavior.
• Negative Reinforcement: Removing something unpleasant (e.g., a leash) to increase behavior.
• Positive Punishment: Adding something unpleasant to decrease behavior.
• Negative Punishment: Removing something pleasant (e.g., comfy carpet) to decrease behavior.
• Extinction: Stopping manipulation causes conditioned behavior to disappear.

Historical Context

• Studied by Edward L. Thorndike, popularized by B. F. Skinner.
• Skinner's belief: Behaviors change when organisms encounter conditioning stimuli.

Skinner's Experiments

• Used an operant conditioning chamber (Skinner box) with a lever for food release.
• Three-term contingency (ABCs of behavior):
  • A (Antecedent): Rat hits lever, triggering food.
  • B (Behavior): Rat presses lever repeatedly.
  • C (Consequence): Food is dispensed.
• Reinforcement Schedule:
  • Consistent food leads to predictable behavior.
  • Random food leads to erratic behavior.

B. F. Skinner's Contributions

• Professor of psychology, behaviorism proponent.
• Focused on visible behavior, dismissed internal mental processes.
• Viewed free will as an illusion.
• Influenced behavioral therapy, military drills, animal training.

Classroom Exercise on Positive Reinforcement

• Task: One person leaves the room.
• Group decides on a task (e.g., finding a book).
• Non-verbal reinforcement like clapping used.
• Clap louder when person is on track, reduce if off track.
• Goal: Person figures out task through reinforcement.

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