B.F. Skinner, a prominent figure in behaviorism, emphasized that behavior is shaped by reinforcement rather than unconscious influences, particularly through his work on operant conditioning and the creation of the Skinner box. The document outlines different types of reinforcement, including positive and negative reinforcement, and discusses various schedules and principles of reinforcement, as well as comparing operant conditioning with classical conditioning. Additionally, it touches upon theories from other psychologists like Edward Thorndike, Albert Bandura, and Wolfgang Kohler, highlighting concepts such as shaping, observational learning, and insight learning.

1. B.F. SKINNER
• Most significant name in behaviorism
(behavior is controlled by reinforcement, not your
unconscious)
• Research on operant conditioning –
external influences control behavior
• Creator of the operant chamber (Skinner
Box): chamber which creates reinforcement for
certain behaviors
key name
B.F. = (Burrhus Frederic )
1904-1990

2. Skinner Box (a.k.a.
“operant chamber”)
Skinner tried
unsuccessfully to market
and sell the operant
chamber to parents under
the names “Heir
conditioner,” “Air crib” and
“Baby tender”

3. Associative Learning Continued
Using fixed or varying forms of
reward/punishment to elicit a
desired behavior
2. Operant Conditioning

4. Reinforcement
• 2 types:
1. Positive reinforcement
2. Negative
Reinforcement (beeping
when you haven’t buckled
your seatbelt OR running
to get rid of stress)
• INCREASES THE
LIKELYHOOD that a
particular behavior will occur.

5. Reinforcement (encourages)
• Positive Reinforcement: encourages a certain
behavior by offering a positive stimulus (reward).
• Negative Reinforcement also ENCOURAGES a
particular behavior by removing an aversive
(negative) stimulus.
– NOT A PUNISHMENT!

6. Punishment
•Punishment: DISCOURAGES a particular
behavior by usually adding an aversive
stimulus.
–Two types:
1. Negative Punishment
2. Positive Punishment

7. Punishment (discourages)
– Negative Punishment:
• Remove something desirable
to discourage behavior
– Ex: Take away your cell phone
– Positive Punishment
• Discourage behavior by giving
something undesirable
– A spanking
– An electric shock

8. Reinforcement is BEST
• Not punishment….WHY?
– If a child is punished, they behave to avoid
rather than understand why a behavior is
undesirable

9. Primary vs. Conditioned Reinforcers
Primary Conditioned
Innately satisfying
UNLEARNED
Satisfying because they are
associated with a primary
reinforcer
LEARNED
food
water
sex
Affiliation (family and
friends)
Removal of
pain
McDonalds
Soda
Bedroom
Birthday
Party
Advil/
Tylenol

10. Types of Reinforcement
• Continuous Reinforcement: reinforcing the
desired behavior every time it occurs.
– Learning happens very quickly.
– Extinction happens very quickly if
reinforcement is stopped.
• Partial (Intermittent) Reinforcement:
reinforcing a desired behavior only part of
the time.
– Learning takes longer (slower acquisition)
– Extinction TAKES LONGER

11. One Additional Term...
• Overjustification Effect → an expected
external incentive such as money or
prizes decreases a person’s intrinsic
motivation to perform a task
– Accelerated Reading Program - being forced
to read might make you start to hate reading
(anyone experienced this?)

12. Types of Reinforcement
• Continuous Reinforcement: reinforcing the
desired behavior everytime it occurs.
– Learning happens very quickly.
– Extinction happens very quickly if
reinforcement is stopped.
• Partial (Intermittent) Reinforcement:
reinforcing a desired behavior only part of
the time.
– Learning takes longer (slower acquisition)
– Extinction TAKES LONGER

13. Schedules of Reinforcement
Reinforcement always occurs after a fixed
number of operant responses
Fixed-ratio
EX: A rat presses a
lever 5 times, then
gets a pellet; 5 times
then a pellet, and so
on

14. Schedules of Reinforcement
Reinforcement occurs after a varying number
of operant responses
Variable-ratio
EX: A rat must push the lever 4 times for a pellet,
then 15 times, then 2 times, then 35 times, then
27 times, then 6 times, and so on…

15. Schedules of Reinforcement
Reinforcement always occurs after a fixed
amount of time
Fixed-interval
EX: A rat must push
the lever after 10
minutes of time to
receive1 pellet. He
then must wait
another 10 minutes,
and can then push the
lever

16. Schedules of Reinforcement
Reinforcement occurs after a varying amount
of time
Variable-interval
EX: a rat must push the lever after 2 minutes for a
food pellet, then 10 minutes, then 7 minutes,
then 23 minutes, ect…

17. Immediate vs. Delayed
Reinforcement*
• In rats, if you delay reinforcement,
virtually no learning will occur.
• Although humans do recognize delayed
reinforcement, immediate gratification
sometimes move us into risky behavior.
EX: smoking, drinking, unprotected
sex.

18. Comparing
Classical Conditioning & Operant Conditioning
• Behavior affected is usually
INVOLUNTARY
• Behavior affected is usually
VOLUNTARY
• Key events are PRESENTED to
the learner
• Key events are PRODUCED by
the learner
• Events CAUSE the behavior • Events CONTROL the
behavior
• The learner does
not have a choice
• The learner has a
choice
• Two stimuli (the NS and UCS)
are associated
• A behavior and a
consequence (reinforcement
or punishment) is associated

19. Edward THORNDIKE
• Proposed the “Law of
Effect” – behaviors
followed by favorable
outcomes are more likely
• conducted puzzle box
experiments on cats
key name
1874-1949

20. Shaping*
• Shaping refers to an
operant conditioning
technique in which
reinforcers guide
behavior closer and
closer towards a desired
goal.
– Uses successive
approximations.
How would you
have trained this cat
to become potty
trained?
Shaping a dog's behavior
Shaping pigeon turning behavior

21. Behaviorist vs Cognitivist Theories
Behaviorist: Only cares about behavior – what a person
does – what can be observed or proven
Learning is mechanical – you behave the way
you do because of external stimuli – no
internal processes are required (learning by
thinking about something or watching it)
Cognitivist: Care about what a person knows (instead of
does). Learning serves a purpose.

22. Cognition’s Effect on
Operant Conditioning
Cognitive map: a mental representation of one’s
environment that is developed without the
aid of reinforcement.
ex/ this classroom

23. Latent learning: learning that occurs (like cognitive
map) that is not apparent (hidden)
until there is an incentive to justify it.
Ex: rats put in maze: no treat at end
—rats just roamed around as though
they were lost
- As soon as a treat was put at the
end, they zipped through the maze to
the treat and exited

24. • Learned helplessness
– when a person begins to believe that they
have no control over a situation, even when
they do
– demonstrates that prior learning can result in
a drastic change in behavior
– seeks to explain why individuals may accept
and remain passive in negative situations
despite their clear ability to change them

25. Albert BANDURA
• Researched social theories
of learning (a.k.a. observational learning or
modeling)
• Conducted the famous
“Bobo the clown”
experiment
key name
b.
1925

27. Albert Bandura’s Experiment on
Modeling (Bobo Doll Experiment)
• Experiment that showed children could
easily learn aggression through
observational learning modeling.
• Frustrated children beat on clown after
seeing adult model do the same.
• After a variety of experiments, many
consider Bandura to be the father of
social learning theory.

28. Social Learning Theory: Monkey See,
Monkey Do (Observational Learning)
• Observational
learning describes
process of learning
by observing others.
• Modeling is an
example of
observational
learning by which
we imitate a specific
behavior.

29. Observational Learning/Modeling
Theory Leads to Questions About the
Impact of Television on Viewers

30. Wolfgang KOHLER
• Insight learning. Argued
that animals do not simply
learn through trial and
error but from insight
learning (a.k.a. the “aha!”
moment)
key name
1887-1967

31. Kohler’s Experiment
PROBLEM: Food has been placed beyond the
reach of the chimps, outside a closed pen.

32. 1. failure
2. pause
3. look at the potential tools
4. the attempt
The chimps behavior all seemed to follow a
similar pattern that suggested to Kohler that
the chimps were demonstrating insight and
planning
the chimp jumps fruitlessly at bananas that have been hung out
of reach
after a period of unsuccessful jumping, the chimp apparently
becomes angry or frustrated, walks away in seeming disgust,
pauses
the chimp looks at the food in what might be a more reflective
way, then at the toys in the enclosure, then back at the food, and
then at the toys again.
the animal begins to use the toys to get at the food

34. Insight is also know as an
“Aha! Moment” or “Lightbulb
Moment”