PSYCH 1X03 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Table Tennis, Slot Machine, Reinforcement
Document Summary
Instrumental conditioning: the learning of a contingency between behavior and consequence. Investigation involved studying cats in a puzzle box. This put the focus on behavior rather than mental elements or conscious experiences. The puzzle contained a door that could be opened by performing a specific behaviour such as pulling thread. A dish of food outside of the box provided motivation. He carefully recorded their behavior and escape time over several trials. The puzzle box the animal would engage in random behavior and would eventually find the solution of pulling on the rope by accident. Thorndike hypothesized that in following trials the cat would escape immediately when in the same box. In actuality: the frequency of random behaviors gradually decreased overtime leaving only the correct target behaviour in place. The law of effect: behaviours with positive consequences are stamped in. those with negative consequences are stamped out. Determining whether a behavior was maintained or eliminated.
