How we Learn - Instrumental Conditioning

Last we we looked at Classical conditioning and how it shapes how we learn.

This week we will look at the other type of conditioning, called instrumental conditioning/Operant Conditioning.

It is based on the proposition that if we do something in response to something we can be encouraged to keep doing it or discouraged from doing it. In short, our behaviour is shaped by the consequences of that behaviour. These consequences can be rewarding or unpleasant (i.e. punishing). Obviously if the consequences of a behaviour are rewarding, we tend to repeat these behaviours, however, if the consequences of a behaviour are unpleasant, we tend to avoid these behaviours.

https://www.verywellmind.com/operant-conditioning-a2-2794863

While Pavlov, the father of classical conditioning, had his dogs, Skinner, the father of instrumental conditioning had his pigeons (I’m more of a dog person, myself, but bare with me). Skinner, placed a pigeon in a box with a disk in it. When the pigeon pecked the disk, food was delivered. As the pigeon randomly pecked in the box, it eventually learned that pecking the disk would be rewarded with food. A memory was created telling the pigeon that pecking the disk would result in food.

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A variation of this was done to demonstrate punishment. However, instead of using a pigeon, aka the rat of the sky, they used a rat…aka the rat of the…ground? The rat was placed in the same box with a floor that was partly electrified. The rat quickly learned to move to the part of the floor that was not electrified. 

Instrumental conditioning is not exclusively for rats of the sky and ground, though. It works on humans, too.

Let’s say you want to encourage your child to do their maths homework. So you say that if you finish your homework, I’ll give you an icecream. Something that makes us want to do that action again is called a reinforcer. But this isn’t just some simple way to make our kids do what we want! It is present in our everyday lives.

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Think about bonuses at work. We are encouraged to work harder, to get sales targets, to spend more time at work through the promise of a bonus cheque at the end of the year.

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Reinforcers can also be negative, too. An example of this is going to the dentist to stop the pain. By removing a negative consequence, the pain, one may be reinforced to continue to see their dentist. Although, this is probably a bad example for me. I am not a fan of going to the dentist either way!

On the other hand, we can discourage an action, too. Something that makes us not want to do that action again is called a punishment. From the parenting point of view, think of how we discourage our kids to do bad things. The old-fashioned spanking of children worked on this premise. If you do something bad, you will get spanked. However, like reinforcers, punishments can also be negative. A negative punishment is where we remove something good. For example, if you do something bad, we will take away your video game console. 

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 Again, this type of conditioning is not reserved for children. Look at speeding fines. If you do something bad (like speeding), we will take away some of your money. Even jail works on this premise. If you break the law, we will take away your freedom.

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Whilst we are taking about this, criminology does provide an interesting way to view instrumental conditioning. Most crimes are committed to achieve a goal[1] If you steal, you get stuff. Murder is negatively reinforced by removing an unpleasant (according to the offender) person. And as we outlined before, crime prevention is usually done through the threat of punishments such as imprisonment, and fines.

Through instrumental conditioning, we learn what will gives us a reward and what will gives us a punishment and this guides what we do in future.

[1] (Wortley, 2011)