Easy

Chapter 14: Operant Conditioning & Learning Theory

Fundamental Philosophical Issue

Fundamental Philosophical Issue: Behaviorists view man no more than an animal; humans commit violence like animals.

Holy Quran: Some people live like four-legged animals, others like birds soaring to the sky.

Operant Conditioning

Operant Conditioning: BF Skinner: human learning is voluntary and intentional; classical conditioning targets involuntary behaviors.

Operant conditioning modifies voluntary behavior through consequences; Pavlovian conditioning conditions involuntary behaviors.

Skinner used rats and pigeons; applied Pavlov’s conditioned reflexes to study behavior.

Skinner box: lever(s), stimulus light(s), reinforcer delivery (e.g., food).

Skinner’s Experiment with Rats

Skinner’s Experiment with Rats:

• Starved rat presses lever → food pellet delivered → frequency of lever pressing increases.
• Even after hunger is fulfilled, rat continues pressing lever.
• Without food reinforcement, frequency decreases and eventually stops (extinction).
• Human behavior link: rewarded behaviors persist regardless of morality.

Extinction

Extinction: Behavior weakened by not experiencing positive condition or stopping negative condition.

No reinforcement leads to extinction.

Discrimination

Discrimination: Reinforcement only under specific condition (e.g., light on → food, light off → no food).

Responses continue in reinforced condition, decrease in non-reinforced.

Demonstrates operant conditioning and shaping behavior.

Generalization

Generalization:

• Stimulus generalization: similar stimuli elicit same response.
• Response generalization: similar responses reinforced together.

Response Discrimination

Response Discrimination: Only reinforced activity increases; non-reinforced activities decrease.

Example: Green light → food → bar pressing increases; Red light → no food → bar pressing decreases.

Human behavior: work for rewarded activities, leave unrewarded activities.

Principles of Learning Theory

Principles of Learning Theory:

1. Learning by Association: Events occurring together become associated; timing between action and reward is crucial.
2. Association of stimulus and stimulus: linking two stimuli (Bell → Food; Green light → Food).
3. Association of response and response: linking two responses (Bar pressing → Food; Button pressing → Food).
4. Association chains: linking disconnected behaviors into a series; behavioral chain formed.

Schedules of Reinforcement

Schedules of Reinforcement:

• Continuous: behavior followed by consequence each time.
• Intermittent: reinforcement based on time or number of responses.

Fixed Interval Schedule

Fixed Interval Schedule: First correct response after set time reinforced; same time period each cycle.

Produces high response near end of interval, slow after reinforcer delivery.

Variable Interval Schedule

Variable Interval Schedule: First correct response after unpredictable time reinforced; average equals specific number over trials.

Produces slow, steady response rate (e.g., pop quizzes).

Fixed Ratio Schedule

Fixed Ratio Schedule: Reinforcer given after specified number of correct responses; best for learning new behavior.

Produces high, steady response with brief pause after reinforcer (e.g., food pellet after 15 bar presses).

Variable Ratio Schedule

Variable Ratio Schedule: Number of responses needed for reinforcement changes; best for maintaining behavior.

Produces high, steady response rate; examples: gambling, lottery.

Things to Remember

Things to Remember:

1. Variable Ratio Schedule generates most responding.
2. Variable Interval Schedule next best.
3. Fixed Interval Schedule follows.
4. Fixed Ratio Schedule produces learning to the lowest degree.

Key Concepts in Operant Conditioning

Summary of Important Points

Aspect	Description
Philosophical Issue	Behaviorism views humans as animals; Quranic contrast
Operant Conditioning	Skinner's voluntary learning via consequences
Skinner’s Experiment	Lever pressing reinforced by food; extinction without reward
Extinction	Behavior weakens without reinforcement
Discrimination	Reinforcement under specific conditions
Reinforcement Schedules	Fixed/Variable Interval/Ratio; variable ratio most effective

Easy