Reinforcers and punishers in psychology

What is Operant Conditioning?

What is Operant Conditioning? Program Transcript

NARRATOR: Operant Conditioning is a type of learning in which behaviors are more or less likely to be repeated in the future, depending upon consequences called reinforcers and punishers.

A reinforcer increases the likelihood that the behavior will be repeated.

A punisher decreases the likelihood that the behavior will be repeated.

We also use the terms “positive” and “negative.”

When something is positive it means something being added.

For negative, it means something removed or taken away.

Reinforcers can be positive or negative, but both increase the frequency of the behavior that precedes it.

For example, a Positive Reinforcer is when you get an increase in salary, praise, or pat on the back for doing good work.

FEMALE VOICE: Good Job!!

NARRATOR: The intent is for you to work harder in the future.

A Negative Reinforcer involves something being, avoided or removed.

For example, to avoid getting stuck in traffic and being late for an appointment (car honking sound), you set your alarm clock to get out of your bed earlier (alarm clock sound) so that you leave your home promptly and arrive on time (car revving and driving away sound).

After successfully avoiding traffic, you develop the habit of setting your alarm clock to get up early again (alarm clock sound). In fact, you are responding to a negative Reinforcer by turning off the alarm clock once it goes off to avoid its irritating sound (alarm clock sound).

Punishers can also be positive or negative. Unlike Reinforcers, Punishers involve either presenting or taking away a stimulus to decrease the frequency of the behavior that precedes it.

For example, in rushing to get to work on time (car revving and driving away sound), you get stopped by a police officer and are given a ticket for exceeding the speed limit (police siren chasing sound). Since you are receiving a ticket and the embarrassment of being stopped by the police, you are receiving a positive

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What is Operant Conditioning?

Punisher. This is considered a positive Punisher because getting the ticket makes you less likely to speed in the future.

Let’s say this is not the first time you’ve been stopped by police (car revving and driving away sound) (police siren chasing sound). A negative Punisher would be losing your license. This is considered a negative Punisher, because losing your license will make you less likely to speed in the future.

Make sense? Let’s look at another scenario. Try to identify the type of conditioning taking place.

NARRATOR: A parent and a child enter a store. The child begins crying while in the store (Baby crying sound). The parent hands the child a lollipop. (Baby laughing sound). The child becomes happy.

What type of conditioning took place, if receiving the lollipop increased the likelihood that the child will cry the next time she wants a lollipop?

Positive Reinforcement

Negative Reinforcement

Positive Punishment

Negative Punishment

NARRATOR: Let’s consider this exact same situation from the parent’s perspective. A parent and a child enter a store. The child begins crying while in the store (Baby crying sound). To avoid hearing the crying, the parent hands the child a lollipop (Baby laughing sound).

What type of conditioning took place if the mother is now more likely to give the child a lollipop to avoid hearing her baby cry in the future?

Positive Reinforcement

Negative Reinforcement

Positive Punishment

Negative Punishment

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What is Operant Conditioning?

NARRATOR: What if the parent gave the child a lollipop as soon as they entered the store? Then, when the child began to cry (Baby crying sound), the parent took the lollipop away. What type of conditioning took place to change the baby’s behavior?

Positive Reinforcement

Negative Reinforcement

Positive Punishment

Negative Punishment

NARRATOR: What if the parent and child enter the store, and the child begins crying while in the store (Baby crying sound). Instead of a lollipop, the parent tells her child in a stern voice, to stop it.

FEMALE VOICE: (Stop it!).

What conditioning was used?

Positive Reinforcement

Negative Reinforcement

Positive Punishment

Negative Punishment

Instruction: Try another example. Imagine a father who wants his son to stop leaving dirty dishes on the table. Match the correct type of conditioning to each part of the scenario.

(Left-side choices) Positive Reinforcement Negative Reinforcement Positive Punishment Negative Punishment

(Right-side choices) Dad yells at his son when dirty dishes are left on the table.

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What is Operant Conditioning?

Dad takes away his son’s cell phone when he finds dirty dishes on the table.

To avoid being grounded by Dad for not cleaning up his dishes, the son regularly cleans his dishes.

When his son cleans up the dishes, Dad gives him his allowance.