Operant Conditioning: Stimuli & Responses
Positive or Negative?
Classical Vs Operant
Reinforcement and Punishment
Important People & Other Topics
100
In Pavlov's original experiment with dogs, the meat served as this.
What is the US or Unconditioned Stimulus?
100
Tom failed a course because he overslept and did not have enough time to complete an exam. Tom now sets his alarm with a really loud, annoying sound to wake him up early whenever there is an exam so he can stop oversleeping.
Negative Reinforcement. Tom has to wake up and hit the snooze button to get the alarm to stop. Tom wakes up early more often because he wants to make the alarm's sound go away.
100
In order to be able to punish my cat even when I'm not near enough to reach him, I have paired the sound of a clicker with getting squirted with water. Now the sound of the clicker causes him to jump.
Classical Conditioning
100
A trainer pulls up on a dog's collar and commands the dog to "sit". The dog sits, and the trainer releases the tension on the collar.
Negative reinforcement R- for the dog for sitting (the aversive tension on the dog's collar goes away when the dog performs the action)
100
He "accidentally" discovered Classical Conditioning while studying dogs.
Pavlov
200
As a child, you were playing in the yard one day when a neighbor’s cat wandered over. Your mother (who has a fear of cats) screamed and took you into her arms. Her behavior caused you to cry. You now have a fear of cats. What is the Conditioned Stimulus?
The cat
200
Your Freshman year of college you got a snickers bar from the vending machine outside your English 101 class everyday, which gave you a satisfying, full feeling. As a Sophomore who's not taking that class anymore, you still feel compelled to purchase a yummy Snickers bar whenever you pass the machine, even if you're not hungry.
Positive Reinforcement- You probably purchase more Snickers bars to increase feelings of satisfaction and fullness.
200
In a weight management class, participants earn points for every healthy meal they eat and every period of exercise they complete. Later these points result in refunds of their class fees.
Operant Conditioning The behaviors being conditioned here are healthy eating and regular exercise. The reinforcement is the refund of the fees.
200
A puppy jumps on her returning, beloved owner. The owner says nothing, folds his arms over his chest, and faces the door. The puppy stops jumping immediately.
Negative punishment P- for the puppy for jumping up
200
I was the first Psychologist to argue that we should only study the things we can observe.
Watson
300
Yesterday, you were studying in the library when a dog wandered over. Your friend (who is afraid of dogs) screamed loudly and ran away. Her behavior caused you to be scared and yell too. You have since developed a fear of dogs. What is the Unconditioned Stimulus?
Your friend's scared behavior
300
Growing up, I would curse a lot behind my mom's back. One day, she caught me and washed my mouth out with soap. Now, I never curse in front of my mother.
Positive Punishment. I do not curse around her anymore because she once put soap in my mouth, which I don't like.
300
After the bad car accident we had last year, I cringe and break into a sweat at the sound of squealing brakes.
Classical Conditioning The cringing was produced by the accident and its accompanying pain. That accident was probably preceded by the sound of squealing brakes, which became a trigger to cause cringing.
300
A dog jumps up on the table and steals a steak. She runs off and eats it. The cook comes back from another room, sees the steak gone, yells, "No" and throws a rolled-up towel at the dog. The dog "counter-surfs" (takes food from the counter) from then on and just avoids towels.
Positive reinforcement R+ for the dog "counter-surfing"
300
I am a behaviorist who studied classical conditioning and children. I am often seen as controversial.
Watson
400
John decided to have tomato soup for lunch. After eating half the bowl, he saw a dead worm in it, making him nauseous. Today at lunch, he saw his friend eating tomato soup, and he puked all over the lunch table. What is the unconditioned response?
Nausea (because of the dead worm)
400
Sarah drives while drunk often. Yesterday, she got stopped by a police officer and got her license revoked. She can no longer drive.
Negative Punishment. Police hope to decreasing drunk driving behavior by taking away her license so she cannot drive.
400
When a teacher first starts teaching about a concept, they praise any answer that is close to the right answer.
Operant Conditioning This describes the process of shaping in Operant Conditioning. In shaping you start by reinforcing anything that is close to the final response. Then you gradually require closer and closer approximations before giving a reinforcer.
400
One day I walked through the campus woods right after it rained and I got all wet when the water dripped off the tree branches. Now, after it rains, I don't walk down the forest paths.
Positive punishment I no longer walk through the forest when I know rain has fallen in the area
400
I am famous for the "Law of Effect" that states behavior followed by a reward is more likely to recur.
Edward Thorndike
500
As you were studying for your Math test in the Student Center, your favorite song song "Despacito" was playing loudly, making you happy. Now, every time you hear "Despacito", you think about the quadratic formula. What is the Conditioned Response?
Thinking about the quadratic formula
500
I have an annoying friend, Tommy, that will stop me whenever they see me on campus to complain about their life. I never hid from them before, but I now hide when I see them near me.
Negative reinforcement? I now hide more in order to avoid having to talk to annoying Tommy.
500
My cat quickly learned to never get on the furniture when I am around.
Operant Conditioning When I am around, the cat is probably punished for getting on the furniture.
500
A non-profit organization sends free address labels with their solicitation to a non-sympathetic postal costumer. The recipient keeps and uses the labels but doesn’t donate any money to cause. He checks further solicitations for more labels.
Positive reinforcement R+ for opening mail
500
I fear soft, white things, thanks to the fact that I was classically conditioned with a rat and loud noises by Watson.
Who is Little Albert?
M
e
n
u