AP Psychology / Unit 3: Development and Learning
3.8 Operant Conditioning
Notes
Learning from consequences (Skinner):
- Positive reinforcement: add something good. Negative reinforcement: remove something bad. Both increase behavior.
- Punishment decreases behavior (positive adds, negative removes).
- Schedules: fixed/variable ratio and interval. Variable ratio resists extinction most.
- Shaping rewards closer steps.
Practice
Taking aspirin to remove a headache, and doing it more often, is:
Removing something unpleasant.
Slot machines use a:
Unpredictable number of plays.
Taking away a teen's phone for breaking curfew is:
Removing something wanted.
Ready for more? Take the Unit 3 test.