Operant Conditioning
Definition
Operant conditioning is a type of learning where behavior is controlled by consequences. Positive reinforcements or punishments are used to either increase or decrease the likelihood of a behavior happening again.
Analogy
It's like playing video games - if you do well in the game (behavior), you get points or advance levels (positive reinforcement). If you play poorly, you lose lives or have to start over (punishment).
Related terms
Reinforcement: Anything that increases the likelihood of a behavior repeating itself.
Punishment: Anything that decreases the likelihood of a behavior repeating itself.
Extinction: The disappearance of learned behavior when it's no longer reinforced.
"Operant Conditioning" appears in:
Study guides (4)
Additional resources (1)
Practice Questions (20+)
- Skinner is to operant conditioning as Bandura is to:
- The work of ________ focused on operant conditioning; that of ________ focused on classical conditioning.
- What is shaping in the context of operant conditioning?
- What does the term "Operant Conditioning" refer to in Psychology?
- Why is B.F Skinner's Operant Conditioning theory criticized when considering modern neuroscientific research?
- How can psychologists ensure they are ethically applying the principles of operant conditioning?
- Who developed the theory of operant conditioning?
- What does operant conditioning primarily focus on?
- Which of the following best demonstrates operant conditioning?
- Which characteristic distinguishes classical conditioning from operant conditioning?
- In terms of operant conditioning, how might students be encouraged to study more?
- Is the contemporary interpretation of operant conditioning more complex than Skinner’s original concept?
- In what ways does the principle of operant conditioning influence classroom learning?
- What mathematical concept does reinforcement schedule in operant conditioning resemble?
- How might Skinner's theory of operant conditioning overlook the influence of innate mental processes on learning?
- What is the primary purpose of operant conditioning?
- What type of consequence is a punishment in the context of operant conditioning?
- Which scenario best illustrates the concept of 'extinction' in operant conditioning?
- Who is most associated with the concept of operant conditioning?
- What does a teacher implementing a system of gold stars for good behavior and taking them away for bad behavior illustrate in operant conditioning?
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