PSYC 100 Lecture Notes - Lecture 30: Latent Learning, Marian Breland Bailey, Optimal Foraging Theory

• School: McGill University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 100
• Professor: Jens Pruessner

Document Summary

Both reinforcement and punishment can be positive or negative. Positive reinforcement: the increase in the probability of a behaviour being repeated following administration of a stimulus (involves reward) Negative reinforcement: the increase in the probability of a behaviour being repeated through the removal of a stimulus. (close the door to shut off noise) Positive punishment: punishment that occurs with the administration of a stimulus and thus decreases the probability of a behaviour"s recurring. Negative punishment: punishment that occurs with the removal of a stimulus and thus decreases the probability of a behaviour"s recurring. It is often applied ineffectively and it may have unintended and unwanted consequences. For punishment to be effective it must be reasonable, unpleasant, and applied immediately so that the relationship between the unwanted behaviour and the punishment is clear. Skinner pointed out that the one thing we learn from punishment is how to avoid it.