Behaviour 2: Rats, Pigeons and Operant Conditioning

Introduction to Animal
Learning Theory

The Four Fathers, their animals and why they are
important

Learners will be introduced to key behaviourists and ethologists in animal behaviour studies
Learners will be able to define behaviour, stimulus and response,
understand the principles of classical and operant conditioning, and cause and effect
Learners will be able to distinguish between non-associative and
associative learning
Learners will be able to connect animal behaviours with types of learning theory.

Multiple Choice

Behaviour is a response to a stimulus

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

There are only innate behaviours

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

Stickleback don't like which of these colours?

• This Blue

• This Green

• This Yellow

• This Red

Multiple Choice

Ivan Pavlov used dogs to demonstrate which learning theory

• Innate behaviours

• Habituation

• Classical Conditioning

• Imprinting

Match

Match the following

• Learning in which two or more stimuli are paired together

• Learning in which no stimuli are paired together

• An increase in response to a behaviour

• A decrease in response to a stimulus

Associative Learning

Non-associative learning

Habituation

Sensitisation

• Associative Learning

• Non-associative learning

• Habituation

• Sensitisation

Open Ended

Define Stimulus

Click Here!

B.F. Skinner described using rats and pigeons how animal behaviour can be reinforced or punished using positive or negative stimuli.

Positive stimuli are good things - sweets, chocolate, going home early etc.

Negative (or aversive) stimuli are bad things - bee stings, hot stoves, Liverpool FC

B.F Skinner's
pigeon boxes

Learners will be introduced to key behaviourists and ethologists in animal behaviour studies

Hotspot

Money!

Hotspot

Electric Shock!

Hotspot

Getting Full Marks in an Assignment!

Hotspot

Getting Grounded!

Hotspot

Tickets to Liverpool FC game!

Hotspot

Listening to Lil Yachty

Click Here!

This was known as Operant conditioning.

Where animals can associate a stimulus with a behaviour, and operate accordingly.

This takes trial and error to learn.


Try out the Click Here link and go through the interactive lesson.

B.F Skinner's
pigeon boxes

Learners will be introduced to key behaviourists and ethologists in animal behaviour studies

Multiple Choice

This is a form of associative learning... What does associative learning mean?

• Where learning occurs by pairing stimuli together

• Where learning occurs with only one stimulus

• Behaviours that occur from birth (genetically predisposed)

• A series of behaviours triggered by a key stimulus

Remember
these terms

Negative

To remove a

stimulus

Positive
To add a
stimulus

Reinforcement

To increase a

behaviour

Remove a
stimulus to
increase a
behaviour

Add a stimulus
to increase a

behaviour

Punishment
To reduce a
behaviour

Remove a
stimulus to
reduce a
behaviour

Add a stimulus

to reduce a
behaviour

Skinner’s Operant Conditioning Terms

Positive Reinforcement
Negative Reinforcement

Positive Punishment
Negative Punishment

The four types of operant conditioning are
used to modify the behaviour of an animal

Open Ended

In your own words, what is operant conditioning?

Poll

Why was the pigeon turning?

• Being instructed to

• Being forced to

• Trial and Error

• Innate behaviour

​Where an animal ''experiments'' with a range of behaviours until a desired consequence is found

​​Trial and Error

​You may try to find the fastest route to college/work.

You will learn that one way is quicker than another only by experimenting with different routes

For instance

Let’s play

Put the rat in the box!

Reinforcement vs Punishment

Back to the 1940s -
the golden age
of animal behaviour

Put the rat in the box

Punishment

Reinforcement

Negative

1

2

Positive

3

4

Learners will be able to define behaviour, stimulus and
response, understand the principles of classical and
operant conditioning, and cause and effect

Reinforcement vs Punishment

Back to the 1940s -
the golden age
of animal behaviour

Positive reinforcement

Punishment

Reinforcement

Negative

1

2

Positive

3

4

Learners will be able to define behaviour, stimulus and
response, understand the principles of classical and
operant conditioning, and cause and effect

Reinforcement vs Punishment

Back to the 1940s -
the golden age
of animal behaviour

Put the rat in the box

Punishment

Reinforcement

Negative

1

2

Positive

3

4

Learners will be able to define behaviour, stimulus and
response, understand the principles of classical and
operant conditioning, and cause and effect

Reinforcement vs Punishment

Back to the 1940s -
the golden age
of animal behaviour

Punishment

Reinforcement

Negative

1

2

Positive

3

4

Learners will be able to define behaviour, stimulus and
response, understand the principles of classical and
operant conditioning, and cause and effect

Positive Punishment

Reinforcement vs Punishment

Back to the 1940s -
the golden age
of animal behaviour

Put the rat in the box

Punishment

Reinforcement

Negative

1

2

Positive

3

4

Learners will be able to define behaviour, stimulus and
response, understand the principles of classical and
operant conditioning, and cause and effect

Reinforcement vs Punishment

Back to the 1940s -
the golden age
of animal behaviour

Negative Reinforcement

Punishment

Reinforcement

Negative

1

2

Positive

3

4

Learners will be able to define behaviour, stimulus and
response, understand the principles of classical and
operant conditioning, and cause and effect

Reinforcement vs Punishment

Back to the 1940s -
the golden age
of animal behaviour

What could go here?

Think of a way that
you could remove a
stimulus to reduce
a behaviour

Punishment

Reinforcement

Negative

1

2

Positive

3

4

Learners will be able to define behaviour, stimulus and
response, understand the principles of classical and
operant conditioning, and cause and effect

Given a positive consequence

Increase the behaviour

​​Positive Reinforcement

Given an aversive consequence

Decrease the behaviour

Positive Punishment

Take away an aversive consequence

Increase the behaviour

Negative Reinforcement

Take away a good consequence

Decrease the behaviour

​​Negative punishment

Match

Match the following

• Positive Punishment

• Positive Reinforcement

• Negative Reinforcement

• Negative Punishment

Shouting, Hitting an animal

Give an animal some food

Stop loud music from playing

Take away toys

• Shouting, Hitting an animal

• Give an animal some food

• Stop loud music from playing

• Take away toys

Something to
think about at

home

How does operant conditioning apply to you?
What happens in your life that is influenced by

operant conditioning?

?