An Experimental Study of Operant Conditioning Theory as a Predictor of Behavior Among Rats

Prof. Miriam Grace Aquino-Malabanan Espina, Cenessa A. Regolto, Reneliza A. Lyceum of the Philippines University
Abstract
Operant conditioning is a process of changing behavior in which the reinforcement or punishment is contingent on the occurrence of a particular behavior. The present study explored operant conditioning on rats. Four male rats were used in the study. They were trained in a four-arm maze with different obstacles for twenty- eight days.

Introduction A child does not steal from the cookie jar to avoid punishment, or an employee doing good because of his managers praise, these are everyday manifestations of operant conditioning .Operant conditioning is what B .F . Skinner named the phenomenon of the effects of a behavioral consequence and the future happening of that behavior. Operant conditioning is very apparent in everyday lives. With this, the experimenters wished to used animals as their subjects specifically rats. Over the years, rats have been used in many experimental studies, which have added to our understanding of genetics, diseases, the effects of drugs, and other topics that have provided a great benefit for the health and wellbeing of humankind. Laboratory rats have also proved valuable in psychological studies of learning and other mental processes as well as to understand group behavior and overcrowding. Domestic rats differ from wild rats in many ways. They are calmer and less likely to bite; they can tolerate greater crowding; they breed earlier and produce more offspring; and their brains, livers, kidneys, adrenal glands , and hearts are smaller (Barnett 2002). For these reasons, the experimenter decided to test the effectiveness of using laboratory rats in maze learning. Maze learning is more complex task than they might appear. A rat finding its way to food attends to visual and tactile stimuli, the location of its body, the position of its head and any other available cues. The survival of rats in the wild depends on their ability to navigate quickly and accurately through their environment and to learn which locations in it are likely to contain food and water. The

performance of rats in the maze can be disrupted by rotation of the maze or by changes in the appearance of the room. Orientation is important.(Pinel, 2008). Objective of the Study This study was conducted to test the validity of Skinners Operant Conditioning among lower animals such as rat and to predict their behavior. They also want to know the effects of giving rewards and punishment on the behavior of these animals. Review of Literature Operant Conditioning The term "Operant" refers to how an organism operates on the environment, and hence, operant conditioning comes from how we respond to what is presented to us in our environment. It can be thought of as learning due to the natural consequences of our actions. (http://allpsych.com/psychology101/conditioning.html) According to B.F. Skinner(1953 as cited in Feist, 2003), operant conditioning is a type of learning in which reinforcement, which is contingent on the occurrence of a particular response, increases the probability that the same response will occur again.The key to operant conditioning is the immediate reinforcement of a response. The organism first does something and then is reinforce by the environment. Reinforcement, in turn, increases the probability that the same behavior will occur again. The reinforcement does not cause the behavior, but it increases the likelihood that it will be repeated.

If an action is followed by a pleasurable consequence, it will tend to be repeated (Thorndike, 1911). This is the basic principle behind learning voluntary behavior (Ciccarelli & White, 2009). When a rat enters one arm of a maze and finds froot loops cereal ( a potent reinforcer for a rat ) its probability of entering that arm again increases. If it receives a shock instead, the probability increases. The primary difference between the two kinds is that in operant conditioning the organisms response determines the outcomes.( Rozin et. al, 2006). When a hungry rat is first put in an operant chamber ( Skinner box), it is not very likely to press the lever mounted on a wall. However, if it does press the lever, and if it receives a piece of food immediately afterward, the likelihood of making another response increases. ( Carlson, 2006) Another principal of operant conditioning is that once a behavior is learned, the frequency of the reward can be reduced. For the behavior to be learned, it may be necessary at first to reinforce every occurrence of the behavior. Once learned, the reinforcements can be provided on an intermittent basis, and over time it is possible to reduce the frequency of rewards and still maintain the behavior. (http://www.betabunny.com/behaviorism/Conditioning.htm). In operant conditioning, the learners behavior controls the presentation of the reinforcers/punishment. (Kalat, 2007)

Shaping
Shaping is a conditioning procedure used primarily in the experimental analysis of behavior. It was introduced by B.F. Skinner with pigeons and extended to dogs, dolphins, humans and other species. In shaping, the form of an existing response is gradually changed across successive trials towards a desired target behavior by rewarding exact segments of behavior.

increase a certain behavior (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reinforcement)

or

response.

With positive reinforcement, the behavior increases because it is followed by the presentation of a reward. Hungry rats that receive a pellet of food every time they press a bar will begin to press the bar frequently. ( Burger, 2005). The removal of an aversive stimulus from a situation also increases the probability that the preceding behavior will occur. The effect of negative reinforcement, however, is identical to that of positive reinforcement-both strengthen behavior. ( Skinner, 1953). Certain schedules of reinforcement may be more effective in specific situations. There are two types of reinforcement schedules: In continuous reinforcement, the desired behavior is reinforced every single time it occurs. Generally, this schedule is best used during the initial stages of learning in order to create a strong association between the behavior and the response. Once the response if firmly attached, reinforcement is usually switched to a partial reinforcement schedule. (http://psychology.about.com/od/behavioralpsychology/a/schedules.ht m). In partial reinforcement, the response is reinforced only part of the time. Learned behaviors are acquired more slowly with partial reinforcement, but the response is more resistant to extinction. (http://psychology.about.com/od/behavioralpsychology/a/schedules.ht m). Skinner (1971 as cited in Feist, 2003) says that food is not reinforcing because it tastes good rather it tastes good because it is

It also refers to a procedure in which an experimenter successively reinforces behavior that leads up to, or approximates the desired behavior. (Trajeco et. al, 2005). Skinner (1971 as cited in Feist, 2003) says that this process of reinforcing successive approximation, the experimenter, or the environment, gradually shapes the final complex set of behaviors. Reinforcement Reinforcement is anything within the environment that strengthens a behavior. Skinner (1987) said that reinforcement has two effects: It strengthens the behavior and it rewards the organism. Reinforcement and reward, therefore, are not synonymous. Not every behavior that is reinforced is rewarding or pleasing to the organism. A behavior followed by a reinforcing stimulus results in an increased probability of that behavior occurring in the future. (http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/skinner.html) Experimental behavior analysts measured the rate of responses as a primary demonstration of learning and performance in nonhumans. Positive reinforcement: the adding of an appetitive stimulus to

reinforcing. The reinforcement of a response increases the probability of all responses containing the same elements.

The experimenter used one- way ANOVA as the design of their experiment. This method was used because it only uses one factor for categorizing the population. Subject The subjects used for the study were four laboratory rats having the same age and sex. The experimenters used four male rats to test the validity of Skinners operant conditioning on predicting behavior. Rats one to four were named according to their sizes; smallest to biggest. First rat was named Eugene which is the smallest one. Next was Rhekka, then Rhyle and last one was Rham which is the biggest among all the rats. Instrument The experimenters utilized an improvised maze for the training of the rats. The base of the maze was illustration board and the measurement of the obstacles was measured depending on the size of the rats. The experimenters only made allowance per obstacle. Since the rats were color blind, the colors of the maze were combination of black and white. The obstacles used by the experimenters are the following: 1. Feeding Dish a small container made of plastic. 2. Ball3. Rod 4. Teeter-tooter 5. Hoops

Punishment Alternatively, researchers can use punishment to eliminate unwanted behavior. In theory, the frequency of a behavior is reduced when it is followed by an aversive stimulus, such as an electric shock, or the removal of a positive stimulus, such as taking away of foods. The effects of punishment can be demonstrated in laboratory animals.( Burger, 2005) Three outcomes of punishment are; a. suppress behavior, b. conditioning of a negative feeling, c. spread of its effect. punishment ordinarily is imposed to prevent an organism from acting in a particular way. ( Feist et. al, 2003). Positive punishment occurs when the likelihood of a certain behavior decreases as the result of the presentation of something unpleasant after the behavior. On the other hand, negative punishment occurs when the likelihood of a certain behavior decreases as the result of the removal of something pleasant after the behavior.(Amabile, 2006).

Methods The following section discusses how the researchers conducted the study. It includes the research design, the participants, the instruments or the measures used, the procedures and the overview of the statistical analysis used. Research Design

Procedure As rats accomplish each successive step of the training, the date and time is recorded in a poster board chart in the laboratory. The following activities were given by the experimenters to the rats:

Data Analysis This study employed the following: y Standard Deviation mean Summation of Mean and Mean Square one- way ANOVA

Training steps include: 1. Feeding from dish 2. Feeding on command 3. Touching or sniffing marble 4. Pushing marble part way up ramp 5. Pushing marble all the up the ramp and out the hole 6. Touching or sniffing rod 7. Pulling rod part way into box 8. Pulling rod all the way into the box 9. Touching or sniffing teeter-tooter 10. Pushing down slightly on teeter-totter 11. Pushing down completely on teeter-totter 12. Touching or sniffing the hoop 13. Stepping through lowered hoop 14. Jumping through raised hoop 15. Completion of the 14 steps in 30 seconds or less 16. Completion of the steps 1-14, 20 seconds or less 17. Completion of the steps 1-14, 10 seconds or less

y y y

Conclusion and Recommendation Through this study, the experimenters proved the validity of using Skinners Operant in predicting behavior among rats. It is an effective process in shaping desired behavior and eliminating the undesirable one of the subjects. The effectiveness of each technique depends on the consistency with which it is used. Giving rewards and punishment was also effective on this matter. To the next experimenters who want to replicate this experiment, the experimenter provided series of recommendation in conducting the same experiment. The laboratory rats that should be use must have the same sex or if not, separate them in their cage to avoid mating among them. The rats to be purchased must be agile and active. The experimenters should be very alert in case the rats will fight for these might result to rat massacre. Lastly, the experimenter must be patient in handling the rats.

References Burger, Jerry M. Personality 6th ed. Wodsworth Thomson learning. Singapore. Carlson, Neil. 2006. Physiology of Behavior 5th ed. A Division of Paramount Publishing. USA. Pinel, John P.J. 2008. Biopsychology 7th ed. Pearson Education South Asia Ptc. Ltd. Singapore. Feist, Jess et. al. 2003. Theories of Personality 5th ed. McGraw- Hill Higher Education. Singapore. Trajeco, Ma. Shirley. 2005. Psychology in Action. BOOKMAN Inc. Quezon. Boere, George. 2006. Operational Conditioning. Retrieved last July , 2011 from http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/skinner.html. Operant Conditioning. Anti Essays. Retrieved July 28, 2011, from the World Wide Web: http://www.antiessays.com/free-essays/16096.html Operant Conditioning. Term papers lab. Retrieved July 28, 2011, from http://www.termpaperslab.com/essay-on-operantconditioning/7934.html. Guerrini, Anita (2003). Experimenting with humans and animals: from Galen to animal rights. The Johns Hopkins University Press. Baltimore.

Peterson, G.B. (2004). Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior. Williams & Williams. Macmillan.

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Authors Information Ms. Cenessa Espina is 18 years old and presently residing at Tilambo, Taysan, Batangas. She is a 3rd year college student taking up Bachelor of Arts in Psychology in Lyceum of the Philippines University in Batangas City .Her interests are in the fields of Cognitive Psychology and Industrial Psychology. Her career objective is to gain experience to wide range of industrial function toward sustained professional improvement. Born on the year 1992, Filipino citizen. In the near future, she is planning to pursue her studies in her major, Industrial Psychology. Contact Informations: Cellphone Number: 0939-612-8555 E-mail Address: twitart_0320@yahoo.com

Ms. Reneliza Regolto is 18 years old and presently residing at Tilambo, Taysan, Batangas. She is a 3rd year college student taking up Bachelor of Science in Psychology in Lyceum of the Philippines University in Batangas City .Her interests are in the fields of Clinical Psychology and Industrial Psychology. She is aiming to have a doctoral degree someday. Contact Informations: Cellphone Number: 0949- 623- 5022 E-mail Address: twitart_0320@yahoo.com