The ABC's of Operant Conditioning

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Operant conditioning is the form of learning in which behavior is controlled by its consequences. For example, if a student in a class responds to a professor's question and is praised for her answer, that student is more likely to respond again the next time a question is asked. 

In terms of operant conditioning, what has she learned?
The answer to the professor's questions.
That responding in class can have reinforcing consequences.

In operant conditioning, behavioral contingencies are important. Behavioral contingencies are the relationships between behavior and environmental events.

Three components are included in the operant contingencies: antecedents (A), behaviors (B), and consequences (C). These are also referred to as the before condition, the behavior, and the after condition.

Antecedents are the occasions under which responses occur. These are stimuli, events, or conditions in the presence of which a particular response (behavior) will produce the desired outcome.

Behavior (response) is anything the organism does.

Consequences are the outcomes of behavior that affect its future probability.

So, antecedents are the _______ condition.
 before
after

Consequences are the ________ condition.
 before
after

In the professor/student example, what is the antecedent?
the professor praising the student.
the student answering the question.
the professor asking a question.

In the professor/student example, what is consequence?
the praise from the professor.
the student answering the question.
the professor asking a question.

Two types of consequences affect the future probability of behavior.

A reinforcer is a stimulus whose presentation immediately following a response acts to increase the frequency or future likelihood of that response.

An aversive stimulus or punisher is a stimulus whose presentation immediately following a response acts to decrease the frequency or future likelihood of that response.

Thus, if praise following a student's response makes the student more likely to respond in the future, the praise is a ___________.
 reinforcer
aversive condition
punisher

In operant terminology, another term for aversive stimulus is _________.
reinforcer
punisher

What determines whether a consequence is a reinforcer or punisher is its effect on behavior, not whether we personally like or dislike it.

Principal Skinner suspends Bart when he disrupts class. Bart becomes even more disruptive when he returns to school. In this example, suspension would act as _________ for Bart's behavior.
 a reinforcer
a punisher

If Lisa stops being disruptive after suspension, suspension is for her is a ___________.
a reinforcer
a punisher

Responses can have the effect of producing or removing reinforcers and aversive stimuli. Response contingencies refer to the different relationships between responses and their consequences.

Positive reinforcement refers to the increase in the likelihood or probability of a response that is followed by a favorable consequence (positive reinforcer).(The Malott textbook refers to the positive reinforcement contingency as "reinforcement contingency."

For example, if the delivery of a food pellet follows a bar press by a rat and acts to increase the future likelihood of bar pressing by the rat, this would be positive reinforcement.

Bar press  > food
^ Bar press

So, in positive reinforcement, a response is followed by the _________ of a reinforcer.
 presentation
removal

Negative reinforcement (called the escape contingency in Malott) refers to the increase in the likelihood or probability of a response when that response either removes or prevents an aversive event.

Here, an aversive stimulus is used to reinforce behavior because the behavior removes the aversive stimulus.

For example, if unpleasant shock is terminated when a rat presses a bar, this would be negative reinforcement (escape).

Bar press > shock off
^ Bar press

So, in negative reinforcement (escape), a response is followed by the __________ of an aversive stimulus.
 presentation
removal

Punishment contingency refers to the immediate response-contingent presentation of an aversive condition resulting in a decreased frequency of that response.

If the presentation of a shock following a bar press by a rat leads to less frequent bar pressing in the future, this would be a punishment contingency.

Bar press > shock
v Bar press

Penalty contingency refers to the response-contingency removal of a reinforcer, resulting in a decreased frequency of that response.

So, in punishment, a response is followed by the ___________ of an aversive stimulus.
 presentation    
removal

And in penalty, a response is followed by the ____________ of a reinforcer.
presentation    
removal

What do punishment and penalty have in common?
Nothing
Both involve aversive stimuli.
Both result in the reduction in the frequency of a response.

What do negative reinforcement (escape) and punishment have in common?
both lead to decreases in behavior.
both lead to increases in behavior.
both use aversive stimuli.

How do negative reinforcement (escape) and punishment differ?
one uses positive reinforcers and the other uses aversive stimuli.
one leads to an increase in behavior and the other to a decrease in behavior.

What do positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement (escape) have in common?
both use positive reinforcers
both lead to an increase the behavior
both use aversive stimuli

Professor Stern's students pay attention after he yells at them.

In this example, the consequence (after condition) of yelling for Professor Stern is attention by students. Is attention a reinforcer or an aversive condition for Professor Stern?
 reinforcer
aversive condition

Thus, since behavior is followed by the presentation of a reinforcer, this would be an example of a __________________ contingency for Professor Stern's behavior.
negative reinforcement  
punishment
positive reinforcement

Consider another scenario. Professor Stern's students become quiet after he yells at them for talking to each other in class. In this example, the consequence of yelling for Professor Stern is that students stop talking.

Which would characterize this situation?
 the presentation of a reinforcer
the removal of an aversive stimulus

Given this, the contingency that makes Professor Stern likely to again yell at his students in the future is _____________ .
positive reinforcement
negative reinforcement (escape contingency)
punishment

On the other hand, the students talk less because they have experienced a _____________ contingency.
positive reinforcement
negative reinforcement (escape contingency)
punishment

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