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Operant Conditioning
Account My College Class Notes
Category Psychology Notes
Chapter 4: p149
Focus Questions
What is operant conditioning and how did Skinner study it?
Operant behavior “operates” on the environment in accord with
contingencies. Operant conditioning is base on contingencies that are
arranged in the lab or occur in real life. The controlled environment of the
Skinner box revolutionized the study of learning and conditioning.
Schedules of Reinforcement
A Variable Ratio Schedule produces rewards irregularly. The criteria for
reinforcement changes, it rotates around an average number of responses.
The amount of work required per reinforcement varies somewhat randomly
within certain limits (Carpenter, 1974).
Examples of Variable Ratio Schedules
1. A Slot machine yields returns on an irregular basis.
2. Pigeons will peck for hours at a rate of five times per second. The
first reinforcement is given after pecking three times, then seven
times, then five times, then four times and then one time.
Implementing a Variable Ratio Schedule will eliminate the post reinforcement
pause. In a Variable Ratio Schedule, the average number of responses
between reinforcement is predetermined by the trainer. A Variable Ratio-10
Schedule (VR-10) means that on the average, reinforcement follows every
10th desired behavior but it might come after only one desired behavior or
after the 20th desired behaviors.