Operant conditioning is a method of learning through reinforcement and punishment of behaviors. B.F. Skinner coined the term and conducted experiments using animals in a Skinner Box. He found that behaviors followed by reinforcement are more likely to be repeated, while behaviors followed by punishment are less likely to be repeated. There are different types of reinforcement and punishment that can strengthen or weaken behaviors according to operant conditioning principles.

1. PSYCHOLOGY PRESENTATION
OPERANT CONDITIONING
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2. WHAT IS OPERANT CONDITIONING
Operant Conditioning is response to voluntary
learning.
It can be Strengthens or Weakness.
Depending on Favourable or Unfavourable Values.
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3. OPERANT & OPERANT CONDITIONING
Operant:
• Any active behavior that operates upon the environment to generate consequences.
Operant Conditioning:
• The behavior is followed by a consequence, and the nature of the consequence modifies the organism’s
tendency to repeat the behavior in the future.
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4. BURRHUS FREDERIC SKINNER
Operant Conditioning was coined by behaviorist
B.F Skinner.
• He received a B.A. in English literature in 1926
from Hamilton College.
• In 1948, he joined the psychology department at
Harvard University where he remained for the rest
of his life.
• He became one of the leaders of BEHAVIORISM
and his work contributed immensely to
experimental psychology. He also invented the
'Skinner box,' in which a rat learns to obtain food
by pressing a lever.
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5. SKINNER (1948) EXPERIMENT
B.F Skinner studied operant conditioning by
conducting experiments using animals which he
placed in a “Skinner Box”
Skinner coined the term Operant Conditioning; it
means roughly changing of behavior by the use of
reinforcement which is given after the desired
response. Skinner identified three types of
responses or operant that can follow behavior.
• Neutral operants
• Reinforcers
• Punishers
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6. METHOD OPERANT CONDITIONING
Operant conditioning is a method of:
• Learning that occurs though rewards and punishment for behavior.
• Through operant conditioning and association is made between a behavior and a consequence for that behavior.
Example:
• Consider the case of child completing homework to earn a reward from his/her teacher or parent.
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7. OPERANT CONDITIONING & LAW OF EFFECTS
Operant Conditioning:
• Learning in which a voluntary response is strengthens or weakness, depending on its favourable or unfavourable
consequences.
Law of Effects:
• Responses that lead to satisfying consequences are more likely to be repeated, and responses followed by
negative outcomes are less likely to be repeated.
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8. HIERARCHY OF OPERANT CONDITIONING (COMPONENTS OF OPERANT CONDITIONING)
Operant
Conditioning
Reinforcement
Positive Negative
Reinforcer
Primary
Reinforcers
Secondary
Reinforcers
Punishment
Positive
Punishment
Negative
Punishment
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9. REINFORCEMENT & REINFORCER
Reinforcement:
• The process by which a stimulus increases the probability that a preceding behaviour will be repeated.
Reinforcer:
• Any stimulus that increases the probability that a preceding behaviour will occur again.
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10. POSITIVE & NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENT
Positive Reinforcers:
• A stimulus added to the environment that brings about an increase in a preceding response
Negative Reinforcers:
• Unpleasant stimulus whose removal from the environment leads to an increase in the probability that a preceding
response will occur again in the future.
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11. PRIMARY & SECONDARY REINFORCER
Primary Reinforcer:
• Satisfies some biological need and works
naturally, regardless of a person’s prior experience.
Secondary Reinforcer:
• A stimulus that becomes reinforcing because of its
association with a primary reinforcement.
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12. PUNISHMENT
Stimulus that decreases the probability that a prior
behaviour will occur again.
Positive Punishment:
• Positive punishment weakens a response through
the application of an unpleasant stimulus.
Negative Punishment:
• Negative punishment consists of the removal of
something pleasant.
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13. SCHEDULES OF REINFORCEMENT
Continuous Reinforcement:
• Behaviour that is reinforced every time it occurs.
Partial Reinforcement:
• Behaviour that is reinforced some but not all of the
time
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14. SCHEDULES OF REINFORCEMENT
Fixed-ratio schedule:
• Reinforcement is given only after a certain number
of responses.
Variable-ratio schedule:
• Reinforcement occurs after a varying number of
responses rather than after a fixed number.
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15. SCHEDULES OF REINFORCEMENT
Fixed-interval schedule:
• Provides reinforcement for a response only if a
fixed time period has elapsed, overall rates of
response are relatively low.
Variable-interval schedule:
• Time between reinforcements varies around some
average rather than being fixed.
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16. THANKS FOR YOUR TIME
PRESENTED BY:
• SYED IBRAHIM SHAMS
• RABIA
MEMBERS:
• MIAN JAWAD SHAH
• UZMA SARBARAZ
• M.YAHYA
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• ABDAL KHAN
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