Skinner and Thorndike

Edward Thorndike:

1. Explain Thorndike's puzzle-box experiment.
- Thorndike felt that learning was a matter of creating associations between stimuli and responses, and no speculation about mind was necessary or useful. Thorndike substituted a foot-pedal so the research could be done with cats. If the animal stepped on the switch, the door of the cage opened. The object of the research was to study how quickly the cat learned to perform this response in order to get free. He made like a laberynth for the cat so he was able to go and get his food.
-http://www.psywww.com/intropsych/ch08_animals/thorndikes_puzzle_box.html
2. Explain Thorndike's "Law of Effect".
- It was the responses that were closely followed by a satisfaction, that had firmly attached objects on the situatuin they were and was most likely to be repeated. if the situation is followed by discomfort, the connections to the situation will become weaker and the behavior of response is less likely to occur when the situation is repeated.
-http://psychology.about.com/od/lindex/g/lawofeffect.htm

3. Explain Thorndike's "Law of Exercise".
- The law of exercise stated that behaviour is more strongly established through frequent connections of stimulus and response. In 1932 Thorndike determined that the second of his laws was not entirely. stated that those behavioral responses that were most closely followed by a satisfying result were most likely to become established patterns and to occur again in response to the same stimulus.
- http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/689639/Thorndikes-law-of-exercise

B.F. Skinner:

1. Explain Skinner's concept of Operant Conditioning
-The use of a behavior's antecedent and its consequence to influence the occurrence and form of behavior. Operant conditioning is distinguished from classical conditioning and also called respondent conditioning in that operant conditioning deals with the modification of voluntary behavior or operant behavior.
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operant_conditioning

2. What does  reinforcement always do?
- a sequence that causes a behavior to occur with a greater frequency.
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operant_conditioning

3. What does a punishment alsways do?
-  a consequence that causes a behavior to occur with less frequency.
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operant_conditioning 

4. Explain the difference between "postive" and "negative" as they are used in opernat conditioning.
- The positive: the reinforcement way occurs when a behavior is followed by a stimulus that is appetitive or rewarding, increasing the frequency of that behavior. In the Skinner box experiment, a stimulus such as food or sugar solution can be delivered when the rat engages in a target behavior, such as pressing a lever.
- The Punishment way occurs when a behavior is followed by a stimulus, such as introducing a shock or loud noise, resulting in a decrease in that behavior.

- The negative: the escape way occurs when a behavior is followed by the removal of an aversive stimulus, thereby increasing that behavior's frequency. In the Skinner box experiment, negative reinforcement can be a loud noise continuously sounding inside the rat's cage until it engages in the target behavior, such as pressing a lever, upon which the loud noise is removed.
-The penalty way occurs when a behavior is followed by the removal of a stimulus, such as taking away a child's toy following an undesired behavior, resulting in a decrease in that behavior.
-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operant_conditioning