Skinner’s Operant Conditioning: Rewards & Punishments

0:01Operant conditioning is based on the idea that we

0:04can increase or decrease a certain behavior by adding a consequence.

0:10For example, if a dog poops on a carpet,

0:13we can either provide reinforcement so the dog does it again or punishments so the dog stops.

0:19Both reinforcement and punishment can either be positive or

0:23negative, which means we have four possible ways to teach this dog a lesson.

0:31We can draw the four options in a table: If reinforcement is positive,

0:36we add something pleasant, like a cookie, to increase the likelihood of a behavior.

0:41If reinforcement is negative, we still want to increase the desired behavior,

0:46this time by removing something unpleasant, like the leash.

0:50If punishment is positive, we add an unpleasant response to

0:54decrease behavior.

0:55When punishment is negative, we also want to decrease

0:59behavior, now by removing something pleasant, like the comfy carpet.

1:03If we stop any sort of manipulation, the conditioned behavior will

1:07eventually disappear again. This is called extinction.

1:13Operant conditioning was first studied by Edward L. Thorndike and later made famous

1:18by the work of B.F. Skinner. Skinner believed that

1:21organisms are doing what they do naturally until they accidentally

1:25encounter a stimulus that creates conditioning, which results in a change in behavior.

1:31To test this, he placed a rat inside an operant conditioning chamber, which later became known

1:36as the Skinner Box.

1:38Among other things, inside the box was a lever that would release food when pressed.

1:46Conditioning happens in a three-term contingency, today known as the ABCs of behavior:

1:53A stands for Antecedent: The rat accidentally hits the

1:57lever that triggers the release of food.

2:00B stands for Behavior and refers to the response: The rat keeps pressing the lever.

2:06C stands for Consequence: Food keeps coming out.

2:11The strength of the response to the conditioning depends on the schedule of reinforcement.

2:16If there is always food after pressing, the rat behaves predictably.

2:20If the food is released randomly, the rat behaves erratically like an addict.

2:26Skinner, born in 1904, was a professor of psychology and subscribed to behaviorism.

2:32He argued that you can only study behavior that is visible and anything

2:37happening only within the mind is either a misconception or irrelevant to science.

2:42He thought free will was an illusion because behavior is

2:45either random or a reaction to the environment.

2:48His work became the foundation for behavioral therapy, military drills, and animal training.

2:55You can try this classroom exercise on positive reinforcement:

3:00One individual must exit the room. Now decide on a task which that individual

3:05will complete, such as finding a particular book. Then choose a nonverbal way of reinforcing

3:12that tasks, such as clapping your hands. Invite the person to come back into the room

3:17and let them try and complete the task. But don't give any instructions!

3:21Every time they are on the right track in regards to completing the task, clap your hands louder.

3:26If they move away from performing the task, reduce your applause, or stop it entirely.

3:31Once the person understands what they are supposed to do, let them explain the task.

3:36Did they get it right?