Law of effect and operant conditioning

Edward Thorndike:

1. Explain Thorndike's puzzle-box experiment.

= Thorndike experiment consisted on putting a cat in a puzzle box and observed the cat’s behavior for escaping and getting food. He used foot pedals. 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. 
2. Explain Thorndike's "Law of Effect".

=The law of effect responses closely followed by satisfaction, it will become definitely attached to the situation and therefore more likely to reoccur when the situation is repeated.
3. Explain Thorndike's "Law of Exercise".

= The law of exercise response connections that are repeating are the ones that are strength. The stimulus responses that are not used are weakened.

B.F. Skinner:

1. Explain Skinner's concept of Operant Conditioning

=Operant Conditioning involves reinforcement and punishment. It changes the behavior tendencies. It associates a stimulus with a response. 
2. What does reinforcement always do?

= it increases the strength and frequency of the response.
3. What does a punishment always do?

=negative reinforcement that happens when the behavior is not desirable.
4. Explain the difference between "positive" and "negative" as they are used in operant conditioning.

= Positive reinforcement is when a behavior is followed by a stimulus that is appetitive or rewarding, increasing the frequency of that behavior. 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, while the negative 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. taking away a child's toy following an undesired behavior, resulting in a decrease in that 


http://tip.psychology.org/thorn.htmlbehavior. 
http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/skinner.html