Condicionamiento operante de Skinner: Refuerzo, Castigo, Extinción con ejemplos (Resumen Animado)
What is Operant Conditioning?
Introduction to Operant Conditioning
- Operant conditioning was first described by behaviorist psychologist Burrhus Frederic Skinner as a learning method aimed at increasing or decreasing the likelihood of a behavior occurring in the future.
- The fundamental premise of operant conditioning is that actions followed by reinforcement are likely to be repeated, while those followed by punishment or negative consequences are less likely to recur.
Consequences in Behavior
- In behavioral and cognitive-behavioral psychology, a consequence is the result of a response, which can either be positive (reinforcement) or negative (punishment).
- Positive reinforcement increases the likelihood of a behavior through rewards (e.g., giving dessert to a child for eating well), while negative reinforcement involves removing an unpleasant stimulus (e.g., lifting a punishment for good behavior).
Understanding Punishment
- A punishment decreases the probability of a specific behavior being repeated. It can also be positive (adding an aversive stimulus after the response, e.g., making a child stay at the table until they finish eating) or negative (removing an appetitive stimulus, e.g., not giving dessert for poor eating habits).
Extinction in Behavior Modification
- Extinction refers to stopping reinforcement for previously reinforced behaviors, leading to decreased frequency over time. This process can be slow but effective in reducing unwanted behaviors.
- For example, if attention given during tantrums reinforces them, ceasing this attention will gradually reduce tantrum occurrences since it no longer serves any purpose.
Examples of Reinforcement and Punishment
- Positive reinforcements include praising children for finishing their vegetables or providing commissions to workers for sales; both increase desired behaviors.
- Negative punishments involve ignoring bad behavior from children or pets; this withdrawal of attention helps decrease undesired actions.