Behaviourist Approach | B.F. Skinner | Operant Conditioning | AQA Psychology

Summary

This video explores operant conditioning through B.F. Skinner's research, focusing on how behavior is shaped by its consequences. It explains reinforcement and punishment, their positive and negative forms, and how they influence behavior. The concept of extinction and reinforcement schedules is discussed, illustrating how these principles are applied in everyday life and, notably, how social media platforms use them to capture our attention.

Takeaways

• 📝 Operant conditioning, explored by B.F. Skinner, is a method of learning through consequences, focusing on how behavior is shaped and maintained by its outcomes.
• 📚 Skinner's work diverged from classical conditioning by emphasizing that behavior is determined by its consequences, not just stimuli and responses.
• 📘 Positive reinforcement involves adding something to increase the likelihood of a behavior being repeated, such as giving praise or rewards.
• 📙 Negative reinforcement involves removing something to increase the likelihood of a behavior being repeated, such as taking away a negative consequence.
• 📛 Positive punishment decreases the likelihood of a behavior being repeated by adding something negative, like a penalty or reprimand.
• 📞 Negative punishment decreases the likelihood of a behavior being repeated by taking away something positive, like a privilege or reward.
• 📃 The Skinner box was a controlled environment used to study the effects of reinforcement and punishment on animal behavior, particularly in pigeons and rats.
• 📄 Extinction in operant conditioning occurs when a behavior that was previously reinforced no longer receives reinforcement, leading to a decrease in that behavior.
• 📅 Schedules of reinforcement, such as fixed ratio, variable ratio, fixed interval, and variable interval, influence how resistant a behavior is to extinction.
• 📁 Variable ratio reinforcement, where rewards are unpredictable, leads to the highest rate of behavior and is the most resistant to extinction, as seen in applications like social media engagement.
• 📌 Understanding operant conditioning can help individuals recognize how their behavior, and the behavior of others, may be influenced or manipulated through reinforcement.

Q & A

What is operant conditioning?

Operant conditioning is a method of learning through consequences, where behaviors are increased or decreased in frequency based on positive or negative reinforcement or punishment.

Who is B.F. Skinner and what is his contribution to psychology?

B.F. Skinner was an American psychologist who conducted pioneering work in behaviorism, specifically in operant conditioning. He is known for his experiments with animals in a controlled environment called the Skinner box.

What is a Skinner box?

A Skinner box is a controlled experimental apparatus used to study the behavior of animals, particularly rats and pigeons, in response to various stimuli and consequences.

What are the two types of reinforcement?

The two types of reinforcement are positive reinforcement, which adds a stimulus to increase a behavior, and negative reinforcement, which removes a stimulus to increase a behavior.

What are the two types of punishment?

The two types of punishment are positive punishment, which adds a stimulus to decrease a behavior, and negative punishment, which removes a stimulus to decrease a behavior.

How does operant conditioning relate to behavior that is rewarded?

Operant conditioning suggests that behaviors that are rewarded are more likely to be repeated because the reward serves as positive reinforcement, strengthening the behavior.

What is meant by 'extinction' in the context of operant conditioning?

Extinction in operant conditioning refers to the process where a behavior that was previously reinforced stops being reinforced, leading to a decrease in the likelihood of the behavior being repeated.

What are the four types of reinforcement schedules?

The four types of reinforcement schedules are fixed ratio, variable ratio, fixed interval, and variable interval. These schedules determine how often and predictably a behavior is reinforced.

Why is variable ratio reinforcement considered the most resistant to extinction?

Variable ratio reinforcement is the most resistant to extinction because its unpredictability keeps the subject engaged and continually performing the behavior in anticipation of a reward.

How does the concept of operant conditioning apply to social media platforms like Instagram?

Operant conditioning applies to social media platforms by using variable ratio reinforcement schedules. Users are encouraged to keep checking for likes and comments, similar to a slot machine, which keeps them engaged and coming back.

What is the difference between positive and negative in the context of operant conditioning?

In operant conditioning, 'positive' means to add something (e.g., a reward), while 'negative' means to take something away (e.g., removing a threat). It is not related to the emotional connotations of 'nice' or 'mean'.