B.F. SKINNER - OPERANT CONDITIONING

Question 1

Operant conditioning, developed by B.F. Skinner, is a learning process where behaviors are influenced by consequences. Positive reinforcement encourages a behavior by adding a reward, while negative reinforcement strengthens it by removing an unpleasant stimulus. Punishment, on the other hand, decreases a behavior by introducing a negative consequence or removing a positive one.

Answer 1

Behavior that is rewarded is more likely to be repeated. Behavior that is ignored or punished is less likely to be repeated.

Question 2

A Skinner boX

Answer 2

, also known as an operant conditioning chamber, is a device used to objectively record an animal’s behavior in a compressed time frame. An animal can be rewarded or punished for engaging in certain behaviors, such as lever pressing (for rats) or key pecking (for pigeons).

Question 3

Skinner identified three types of responses, or operant, that can follow behavior.

Question 4

Neutral operants:

Answer 4

Responses from the environment that neither increase nor decrease the probability of a behavior being repeated.

Question 5

Reinforcers:

Answer 5

Responses from the environment that increase the probability of a behavior being repeated. Reinforcers can be either positive or negative.

Question 6

Punishers:

Answer 6

Responses from the environment that decrease the likelihood of a behavior being repeated. Punishment weakens behavior.

Question 7

Positive Reinforcement

Answer 7

In positive reinforcement, a response or behavior is strengthened by rewards, leading to the repetition of the desired behavior.

The reward is a reinforcing stimulus.

Primary reinforcers are stimuli that are naturally reinforcing because they are not learned and directly satisfy a need, such as food or water.

Secondary reinforcers are stimuli that are reinforced through their association with a primary reinforcer, such as money, school grades.

Question 8

Premack Principle

Answer 8

It suggests using a preferred activity (high-probability behavior) as a reward for completing a less preferred one (low-probability behavior).

The Premack Principle is sometimes called Grandma’s Rule – “First eat your vegetables, then you can have dessert” – and is considered one of the more effective and positive approaches to behavior modification.

Question 9

Dependency on Rewards

Continuous external rewards can lead to “reward dependency,” where individuals perform tasks solely for tangible incentives rather than personal satisfaction.

In settings like schools or workplaces, this reliance can diminish intrinsic motivation and cause behavior to wane once rewards are removed.

Question 10

Negative Reinforcement

Answer 10

is the termination of an unpleasant state following a response.

This is known as negative reinforcement because it is the removal of an adverse stimulus which is ‘rewarding’ to the animal or person.

Negative reinforcement strengthens behavior because it stops or removes an unpleasant experience.

For example, if you do not complete your homework, you give your teacher £5. You will complete your homework to avoid paying £5, thus strengthening the behavior of completing your homework.

Increases the likelihood that the behavior will be repeated.

Question 11

Punishment

Answer 11

Punishment is the opposite of reinforcement since it is designed to weaken or eliminate a response rather than increase it. It is an aversive event that decreases the behavior that it follows.

Applying or removing a stimulus immediately after a behavior to reduce or eliminate it (e.g., giving a reprimand or taking away a privilege).

Decreases the likelihood that the behavior will be repeated.

Question 12

Positive Punishment:

Answer 12

Positive punishment involves adding an aversive stimulus or something unpleasant immediately following a behavior to decrease the likelihood of that behavior happening in the future.

It aims to weaken the target behavior by associating it with an undesirable consequence.

Example: A child receives a scolding (an aversive stimulus) from their parent immediately after hitting their sibling. This is intended to decrease the likelihood of the child hitting their sibling again.

Question 13

Negative Punishment:

Answer 13

Negative punishment involves removing a desirable stimulus or something rewarding immediately following a behavior to decrease the likelihood of that behavior happening in the future.

It aims to weaken the target behavior by taking away something the individual values or enjoys.

Example: A teenager loses their video game privileges (a desirable stimulus) for not completing their chores. This is intended to decrease the likelihood of the teenager neglecting their chores in the future.

Question 14

Premack Principle Application:

Question 15

High-probability behavior as reinforcer:

Answer 15

The Premack Principle states that a high-probability behavior (one that occurs frequently, like playing video games) can be used as a reinforcer for a low-probability behavior (one that occurs less frequently, like eating vegetables).

In this case, video game playing (which the child naturally wants to do) is being used to reinforce vegetable eating (which the child is resistant to).

Question 16

Contingency relationship:

Answer 16

The principle establishes a clear “first this, then that” relationship. The child must first complete the less preferred activity (eating vegetables) to gain access to the preferred activity (playing video games).

Question 17

Natural reinforcement: ]

Answer 17

The reinforcer (video game time) is something the child already enjoys doing, making it a natural and meaningful reinforcement rather than an artificial one.

Question 18

Proportional reward:

Answer 18

The example includes a specific ratio (each vegetable = 5 extra minutes of game time), creating a clear and proportional relationship between the behavior and the reward.

Question 19

Positive approach:

Answer 19

this approach focuses on encouraging desired behavior through positive means, which is typically more effective for long-term behavior change and avoids negative emotional associations with eating vegetables.

Question 20

Non-contingent reinforcement (NCR)

Answer 20

refers to a method in which rewards (or reinforcements) are delivered independently of the individual’s behavior. In other words, the reinforcement is given at set times or intervals, regardless of what the individual is doing.

Instead, you get the reward after a set amount of time, or at certain points, no matter what you’re doing.

For example:

You might get a treat every 30 minutes, even if you haven’t done anything special.