Objective 18
Identify and
describe positive and negative reinforcement, positive and negative punishment,
the different schedules of reinforcement, discriminative stimuli, and
shaping.
Explanation:
Operant conditioning involves positive and negative reinforcement, positive and negative punishment, schedules of reinforcement, discriminative stimuli, and shaping. Positive reinforcement strengthens a response by presenting a pleasurable stimulus after a response. Negative reinforcement strengthens a response by reducing or removing something negative. Positive punishment administers an aversive stimulus that decreases a behavior. Negative punishment withdraws a rewarding stimulus that decreases a behavior. A reinforcement schedule is a pattern that defines how often a desired response will be reinforced. There are four schedules of reinforcement. They are fixed-ratio, fixed-interval, variable-ratio, and variable-interval. A fixed-ratio schedule reinforces a response after a specified number of responses, and a fixed-interval schedule reinforces a response only after a specified time has elapsed. A variable-ratio schedule reinforces a response after an unpredictable number of responses, and a variable-interval schedule reinforces a response at unpredictable time intervals. Discriminative stimuli signal that a response will be reinforced. Shaping is when reinforces guide a behavior toward closer and closer approximations of the desired behavior.
Operant conditioning involves positive and negative reinforcement, positive and negative punishment, schedules of reinforcement, discriminative stimuli, and shaping. Positive reinforcement strengthens a response by presenting a pleasurable stimulus after a response. Negative reinforcement strengthens a response by reducing or removing something negative. Positive punishment administers an aversive stimulus that decreases a behavior. Negative punishment withdraws a rewarding stimulus that decreases a behavior. A reinforcement schedule is a pattern that defines how often a desired response will be reinforced. There are four schedules of reinforcement. They are fixed-ratio, fixed-interval, variable-ratio, and variable-interval. A fixed-ratio schedule reinforces a response after a specified number of responses, and a fixed-interval schedule reinforces a response only after a specified time has elapsed. A variable-ratio schedule reinforces a response after an unpredictable number of responses, and a variable-interval schedule reinforces a response at unpredictable time intervals. Discriminative stimuli signal that a response will be reinforced. Shaping is when reinforces guide a behavior toward closer and closer approximations of the desired behavior.
Example:
This chart shows the difference between the two types of reinforcement and the two types of punishment. It is an easier way to understand what my explanation said. It shows that negative reinforcement is not the same thing as punishment.
This chart shows the difference between the two types of reinforcement and the two types of punishment. It is an easier way to understand what my explanation said. It shows that negative reinforcement is not the same thing as punishment.
Example:
This graph shows the four types of reinforcement schedules. It shows what my explanation said. The fixed-ratio line happens every so many, and the variable-ratio line happens after an unpredictable number. The fixed-interval line happens every so often, and the variable-interval line happens unpredictably often.
This graph shows the four types of reinforcement schedules. It shows what my explanation said. The fixed-ratio line happens every so many, and the variable-ratio line happens after an unpredictable number. The fixed-interval line happens every so often, and the variable-interval line happens unpredictably often.