Thorndike's Operant Conditioning Theory, Download CDP Notes PDF

Thorndike’s Operant Conditioning Theory, Download CDP Notes PDF

Thorndike's Operant Conditioning Theory is an important topic of CDP Section Candidate can Download CDP Notes PDF of Thorndike's Operant Conditioning Theory through below article.

Table of Contents

Thorndike’s Operant Conditioning Theory, also known as the Law of Effect, was proposed by American psychologist Edward L. Thorndike in the early 20th century. This theory focuses on how behavior is influenced by the consequences that follow it.Thorndike’s Operant Conditioning Theory laid the groundwork for future behaviorist theories, such as B.F. Skinner’s operant conditioning, which further expanded the understanding of how consequences shape behavior.

Thorndike’s Operant Conditioning Theory

Operant or instrumental conditioning is a form of learning in which the consequences of behaviour lead to changes in the probability that the behaviour will occur. Thondike (1874 – 1949) was the pioneer in studying this kind of learning. His famous formulation of Law of Effect lies at the heart of the operant conditioning. The Law of Effect states that:

“Behavior that brings about a satisfying effect (reinforcement) is apt to be performed again, whereas behavior that brings about negative effect (punishment) is apt to be suppressed.” (Morris & Maisto, 2001)

Types of Reinforcement and Punishment

Reinforcement is a consequence that increases the probability that a behaviour will occur. On the other hand, punishment is a consequence that decreases the probability a behaviour will occur. Put it another way, reinforcement will strengthen a behaviour while punishment will weaken a behaviour. There are 2 forms of reinforcement and punishment as shown in figure.

Take note that when something is added or presented, the process of learning is called positive and when something is removed or taken away, the process of learning is called negative.

Reinforcement and Punishment

Form of consequence	Description	Example
Positive reinforcement	Receiving something pleasant will increase behaviour occurrences.	A student is praised for asking question. Subsequently, the student asks more questions.
Negative reinforcement	Removing something unpleasant will increase behaviour occurrences.	A son who is tired of hearing his father’s nagging will does his homework. He does the homework to remove the nagging.
Positive Punishment	Receiving something unpleasant will decrease behaviour occurrences.	If a teacher frowned when his student asked a question, the student would be less likely to ask question again.
Negative Punishment	Removing something pleasant will decrease behaviour occurrences.	A misbehaving student is removed from the class.

Schedule of Reinforcement

Reinforces are more effective when they are given as soon as possible after a student performs the target behaviour. In continuous reinforcement like this, a student learns very rapidly but when the reinforcement stops, the behaviour decreases rapidly too. Therefore, the schedule of reinforcement was developed. The schedule will determine when a behaviour will be reinforced. There are 4 types of schedule of reinforcement, they are fixed – ratio schedule, variable – ratio schedule fixed, fixed – interval schedule, and variable – internal schedule.

Schedule	Behavior
Fixed – ratio schedule	A behavior is reinforced after a set number of responses have occurred. For example: A student may be given a bar of Kit Kat chocolate for every ten mathematical problems solved.
Variable – ratio schedule fixed	On a variable – ratio schedule, the number of responses needed to gain the reinforcement is not constant. For example: Rewards could be given after 3, 5, 9, and 15 mathematical problems solved. On a fixed – ratio schedule, a behavior is reinforced after a set number of responses have occurred. For example: A student may be given a bar of Kit Kat chocolate for every ten mathematical problems solved.
Fixed – interval schedule	A behavior will be reinforced after a certain period of time. No matter how often it occurs, the behavior will not be reinforced until the time is up. For example: Students are given a quiz every Wednesday.
Variable – internal schedule	Also based on time passing but the time period keep changing. For example: Students are given pop quizzes.

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FAQs

What is the main idea behind Thorndike's Operant Conditioning Theory?

Thorndike's Operant Conditioning Theory suggests that behavior is influenced by the consequences that follow it. If a behavior is followed by a satisfying consequence, it is more likely to be repeated, while a behavior followed by an unsatisfying consequence is less likely to be repeated.

How does Thorndike's theory differ from classical conditioning?

Thorndike's theory focuses on the consequences of behavior, whereas classical conditioning, proposed by Ivan Pavlov, emphasizes the association between stimuli and responses. Thorndike's theory is more concerned with the consequences that shape behavior, while classical conditioning deals with the pairing of stimuli to elicit a response.

How does reinforcement play a role in Thorndike's theory?

Reinforcement is a key element in Thorndike's theory. Positive reinforcement involves presenting a rewarding stimulus after the desired behavior occurs, which strengthens the behavior. Negative reinforcement involves removing or avoiding an aversive stimulus after the desired behavior occurs, also strengthening the behavior.