Operant

Conditioning
What is Operant
Conditioning?
 Imagine yourself as a parent of a
small child. How would you teach the
child to behave well in public places,
such as stores, movie theaters, or
restaurants?
Operant Conditioning
● A type of learning in which the
frequency of a behavior depends
on the consequence that follows
that behavior

● The frequency will increase if the

consequence is reinforcing to the
subject.

● The frequency will decrease if the

consequence is not reinforcing to
the subject.
What is Operant
Conditioning?

A type of learning in which the frequency of a

behavior depends on the consequence that
follows that behavior
The Law of Effect
 Edward Thorndike (1874-1949)

● Author of the law of effect

● Law of Effect: Behaviors with favorable

consequences will occur more frequently.

● Behaviors with unfavorable consequences will

occur less frequently.

● Created puzzle boxes for research on cats.

Thorndike’s Puzzle Box
Thorndike’s Puzzle Box
 What does
Thorndike’s Law of
Effect State?
Behaviors with favorable consequences will
occur more frequently.

Behaviors with unfavorable consequences will

occur less frequently.
B.F. Skinner (1904-1990)

● Developed the fundamental principles and

techniques of operant conditioning and
devised ways to apply them in the real world.

● Designed the Skinner Box, or operant chamber

Skinner’s Pigeons
 Skinner’s Pigeons

● Skinner’s work with animals spurred research

and work in training all kinds of animals to
serve useful purposes.

● In WWII, Skinner trained pigeons to guide

missiles to their targets. (Military didn’t buy in
to his ideas)

● These animals were more effective than

humans at identifying their targets.

● Navy scientist trained pigeons for search and

rescue missions.
Skinner’s Baby in the Box

● B.F. Skinner also invented the "baby tender." It

is important to note that the baby tender is
not the same as the "Skinner box," which was
used in Skinner's experimental research.

● He created the enclosed heated crib with a

plexiglass window in response to his wife's
request for a safer alternative to traditional
cribs.
Which Psychologists made operant
conditioning applicable to the real
world?

B.F. Skinner
 Reinforcement & Punishment

Reinforcement Punishment
Any consequence that Any consequence that
increases the future decreases the future
likelihood of a likelihood of a
behavior behavior

The subject
determines if a
consequence is
reinforcing or
punishing
● Parents and other authority figures don’t always understand
this aspect of consequences

● A parent will sometimes yell at a child for misbehavior,

thinking that yelling is a form of punishment.

● However, a child that is usually ignored may view getting

yelled at as a form of desired attention.

● If this is the case, the law of effect predicts the behavior that
preceded the parent’s yelling will be MORE likely to happen
again.

● Administration- suspending a student for skipping school

probably won’t be a punishment at all if the student doesn’t
care for school
Reinforcement
How do positive and negative
reinforcements work, and how
do they differ?
 Positive Reinforcement

● Anything that increases the likelihood of

a behavior by following it with a desirable
event or state

● The subject receives something they

want

● Will strengthen the behavior

Negative Reinforcement

● Anything that increases the likelihood of

a behavior by following it with the
removal of an undesirable event or state

● Note: the behavior is a means of either

ESCAPING or AVOIDING an undesirable
situation

● Something undesirable is removed

● Will strengthen the behavior

1. The girl in the grocery store used negative reinforcement to
teach her mom to but her candy. The mother found the tantrum
to be undesirable, and she escaped it by buying her daughter
candy. The end of the tantrum negatively reinforced the
mother’s candy buying behavior, which is likely to recur in the
future.

2. Hitting the snooze button on my annoying alarm clock is

negatively reinforcing, because the behavior allows me to
escape from the alarm. This strengthens the behavior and helps
ensure that I will hit the snooze button in the future.

3. For some people, taking alcohol or other drugs is negatively

reinforcing. Alcohol provides some escape from stress and
anxiety, which are undesirable. The reduction of anxiety that
follows negativity reinforces the behavior of drinking and
therefore strengthens the behavior.
Types of Reinforcers
 Positive & Negative Reinforcers together

● Imagine a worried student who, after

goofing off and getting a bad test grade,
studies harder for the next test.

● This increased effort may be NEGATIVELY

reinforced by reduced anxiety, and
POSITIVELY reinforced by a better grade.

● *Whether it works by reducing something

aversive, or by giving something
desirable, REINFORCEMENT is ANY
consequence that strengthens behavior.
Always Remember
● The words positive and negative in this context do NOT mean
“good” and “bad”.
● Positive =something desirable is presented.
● Negative =something undesirable is removed.
● Negative reinforcement always strengthens behavior.
 What is the difference between
positive & negative reinforcement?

Positive - Anything that increases

the likelihood of a behavior by
following it with a desirable event or
state

Negative - Anything that increases

the likelihood of a behavior by
following it with the removal of an
undesirable event or state
Punishment
How does punishment
influence behavior, and why
does it tend to be ineffective?
 Punishment

● An undesirable event following a

behavior

● A desirable state or event ends following

a behavior
 Types of Punishment

Positive Punishment Negative Punishment

Problems with Punishment
Negative Effects of Punishment

● Does not end desire to engage in

behavior

● Example: Child using profanity

● Example: Speeding ticket

 Negative Effects of Punishment

● Can lead to fear, anxiety, and lower

self-esteem

● Avoidance Behaviors: Run away

–drop out of school

● Children model the aggression and

see it as means to solving problems.

● May explain why abusive parents

tend to come from abusive families
Positive Effects of Punishment

● Temporary suppression of
misbehavior

● Punishment can effectively control

certain behaviors.

● Especially useful if teaching a child

not to do a dangerous behavior

● Punishment most effective when

used least
Compare the Scenario

● Have you ever had a teacher who

was constantly punishing by loosing
his or her temper and yelling at the
class?

● How effective was the teacher’s

behavior after it occurred several
times?
What are some problems with
punishment?

Doesn’t prevent behavior when

punisher isn’t around
-Fear and anxiety
-May become aggressive