OPERANT CONDITIONING

•  Type of learning in which a voluntary response becomes stronger or weaker depending on its positive or negative consequences.
•  The organism plays an active role and ‘operates’on environment to produce the desired outcome.

Operant conditioning forms an association between a behavior and a consequence. Consequences have to be immediate, or clearly linked to the behavior. With verbal humans, we can explain the connection between the consequence and the behavior, even if they are separated in time. For example, you might tell your friends that you'll buy dinner for them since they helped you move, or a parent might explain that the child can't go to summer camp because of her bad grades. With very young children, humans who don't have verbal skills, and animals, you can't explain the connection between the consequence and the behavior. For the animal, the consequence has to be immediate.
 

Four Possible Consequences

There are four possible consequences of any behavior:

• Something Good can start or be presented
• Something Good can end or be taken away
• Something Bad can start or be presented
• Something Bad can end or be taken away

 Applying these terms to the Four Possible Consequences
•  Something Good can start or be presented: behavior increases = Positive Reinforcement (R+).
•  Something Good can end or be taken away: behavior decreases = Negative Punishment (P-).
•  Something Bad can start or be presented: behavior decreases = Positive Punishment (P+).
•  Something Bad can end or be taken away, so behavior increases = Negative Reinforcement (R-).

Thorndike’s Law of Effect
Any response leading to an outcome that is satisfying for the organism is likely to be repeated; a response leading to an outcome that is not satisfying is not likely to be repeated.
Association by Contiguity
•  The organism forms an association or connection between the response and its consequences. For it to be effective, the response and the outcome have to be closely linked__ both in time and space.
•  The theory drew attention towards the significance of reward and punishment in learning new behavior.

Criticism against Thorndike’s Approach
It was not clear about what exactly ‘satisfying’ meant
 

Some points to ponder
Have you ever thought?
•  Why do teachers give silver and gold stars on children’s workbooks?
•  Why do horses gallop faster when the rider whips them?
•  Why do parents allow children to watch cartoons when they finish their homework in time?
•  Why do we find surprise gifts in the packs of detergents?
•  Why do employees who earn profit to the organization get a bonus at the end of year? And,
•  Why do children show temper tantrums in the presence of guests even when they know the mother is going to scold and punish?
 

The answers to all these questions can be found in the operant conditioning approach Burrhus Frederic Skinner: 1904-1990

•  American Psychologist and the founder of Operant Conditioning.
•  His theory is somewhat similar to Thorndike’s, but it was actually Watson who impressed him.
 

The Typical procedure in Skinner’s Operant conditioning experiments
•  A special apparatus usually known as skinner’s box is used.
•  Laboratory animals learn to press a lever so that food is delivered to them.
•  The environment is controlled.
•  The animal operates on the environment, and as a result of its behavior it may be rewarded or punished. Food is the reward.
•  The consequence determines if the response will be repeated or not.

Consequences of Behavior; Reinforcement
Reinforcement is used for increasing the probability that the precedingbehavior will be repeated through a stimulus. Also some consequences may deter the re occurrence of behavior. Reinforcement can be in the form of:
•  Positive reinforcement
•  Negative reinforcement
 

Other consequences may be:
•  Punishment
•  No reinforcement

Reinforcer
•The stimulus that increases the probability of repetition or re occurrence of a behavior
•It can be material as well a non material in nature.
 

Positive Reinforcer/ Reward
It is a stimulus whose introduction brings about an increase in the preceding response.