PSYC10003 Lecture Notes - Lecture 25: Edward Thorndike, Operant Conditioning, Puzzle Box
2. Operant Conditioning
Basic Principles of Learning: Operant Conditioning
Edward Thorndike
• Experiments at the turn of the 20th century paved way for behaviourist account of voluntary behaviour
• Worked with animals
• Aim: find out whether animals use reasoning to solve problems
• Puzzle ox
o hungry cat inside
o visible food outside box
• cat learned by trial and error (and success): first attempts random, then found solution
• cats became faster on subsequent trials in puzzle box
• cat learns to associate response with reward
• ∴ consequence shapes behaviour, unsuccessful responses gradually eliminated
• conclusion, cats learn simple stimulus-response (S-R) associations rather than complex reasoning
processes
Law of Effect: Responses followed by satisfying state of affairs are strengthened and more likely to occur
again. Responses followed by unsatisfying state of affairs are weakened and more unlikely to occur
again.
B.F Skinner (1904–1990)
• influenced by Thorndike
• Behaiou opeates o the eioet to geeate oseuees
• organisms learn which behaviour result in reward/punishment
• Operant: describes an active voluntary behaviour that is produced in order to generate
consequences, or is instrumental in generating consequences
Reinforcement: occurs when the consequences of an action increase the likelihood of the action being
repeated
Positive Reinforcement: stimulus or event which, when presented as a consequence of a behaviour, increases
the likelihood of a behaviour occurring in the future
Negative Reinforcement: stimulus or event which, when reduced or terminated as a consequence of a
behaviour, increases the likelihood of a behaviour occurring in the future
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Document Summary
Law of effect: responses followed by satisfying state of affairs are strengthened and more likely to occur again. Responses followed by unsatisfying state of affairs are weakened and more unlikely to occur again. Reinforcement: occurs when the consequences of an action increase the likelihood of the action being repeated. Positive reinforcement: stimulus or event which, when presented as a consequence of a behaviour, increases the likelihood of a behaviour occurring in the future. Negative reinforcement: stimulus or event which, when reduced or terminated as a consequence of a behaviour, increases the likelihood of a behaviour occurring in the future. Reinforcement schedules continuous reinforcement: each response is reinforced intermitted/partial reinforcement: reinforcement given for only some correct responses: generates behaviour that persists for longer: lea(cid:396)(cid:374)e(cid:396)s keep (cid:862)testi(cid:374)g(cid:863) fo(cid:396) (cid:396)e(cid:449)a(cid:396)d. Fixed ratio: rewarded after a fixed number of correct responses: high rate of responding, faster responses yield quicker payoffs.
