Lecture notes on Operant Conditioning

 

 

The Operant Paradigm

 

            Sd--------------R------------------Sr

Discriminative         Response        Contingent

Stimulus                                           Stimulus

 

 

 

Increasing an operant response

 

            Shaping

 

 

            Reinforcement

 

                        Positive

 

                        Negative(escape/avoidance - aversive control to INCREASE a response)

 

                                    Examples of negative reinforcement

 

Types of reinforcers

 

            Primary vs Secondary

 

 

            Tangible vs Social vs Premack

 

 

Decreasing an operant response

 

            Extinction

 

            Incompatible response procedure (counterconditioning)

 

            Punishment

 

            Time out

 

 




A comparison between reinforcement and punishment

 

           

 

Positive

Negative

Presented

 

 

 

 

 

Removed

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stimulus Control in both classical and operant conditioning

 

 

            Generalization

 

 

 

            Discrimination

 

 

 

Applications of  behavior theory

 

            Instructional objectives

 

            Programmed instruction and CAI

 

            Mastery learning and self-paced instruction

 

            Contracts

 

            Behavior modification

 

 

 


How do you design a program for operantly conditioned responses?

 

1.  Identify the target behavior

 

2.  Do you want to increase it or decrease it?

 

3. 

To increase it

To decrease it

 

Shaping

 

Reinforcement (positive or negative)

 

Extinction

 

Punishment

 

Counterconditioning

 

 

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