Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 7, 2026

Evaluating Skilled Prehension in Mice Using an Auto-Trainer
05:01

Evaluating Skilled Prehension in Mice Using an Auto-Trainer

Published on: September 12, 2019

Autoshaping: further study of "negative automaintenance"

W T Woodard, J C Ballinger, M E Bitterman

    Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior
    |July 1, 1974
    PubMed

    Related Concept Videos

    Avoidance Learning and Learned Helplessness01:14

    Avoidance Learning and Learned Helplessness

    Avoidance learning and learned helplessness are critical concepts in understanding behavioral responses to negative stimuli.
    Avoidance learning occurs when an organism learns that a specific behavior can prevent an unpleasant outcome. For example, a student who receives a bad grade may start studying harder to avoid future poor grades. This behavior persists even when the negative outcome is no longer present. Avoidance learning is powerful because it maintains behavior in the absence of the...
    Reinforcement01:23

    Reinforcement

    Positive and negative reinforcement are key concepts in operant conditioning, a learning process where the consequences of a behavior affect the likelihood of that behavior being repeated.
    Positive reinforcement occurs when a behavior is followed by the presentation of a rewarding stimulus, increasing the frequency of that behavior. For example:
    Automatic Processing and Automatic Social Behavior01:28

    Automatic Processing and Automatic Social Behavior

    Automatic processing refers to the cognitive operations that occur without conscious intent or awareness, playing a fundamental role in shaping social cognition and behavior. These processes enable individuals to navigate complex social environments efficiently by relying on mental shortcuts and pre-existing knowledge structures known as schemas. One of the most influential mechanisms underlying automatic processing is priming, which subtly activates mental representations through exposure to...
    Behavior Modification01:21

    Behavior Modification

    Behavioral approaches have often been criticized for ignoring mental processes and focusing solely on observable behavior. However, these approaches provide an optimistic perspective for individuals seeking to change their behaviors. Rather than concentrating on intrinsic personality traits, behavioral approaches suggest that even longstanding habits can be modified by changing the reward contingencies that maintain them.
    A real-world application of operant conditioning principles is applied...
    Role of Shaping in Operant Conditioning01:19

    Role of Shaping in Operant Conditioning

    Shaping is a technique used in operant conditioning to train complex behaviors by rewarding successive approximations toward the target behavior. This method is necessary because organisms are unlikely to perform complex behaviors spontaneously. Instead, shaping breaks down the desired behavior into small, manageable steps.
    The steps involved in shaping begin with reinforcing any response that resembles the desired behavior. For example, parents might praise a child for picking up one toy. As...
    Operant Conditioning Intervention01:24

    Operant Conditioning Intervention

    Operant conditioning serves as a foundational principle in therapeutic interventions aimed at modifying maladaptive behaviors. Central to this approach is the notion that behaviors, both adaptive and maladaptive, are learned through reinforcement. By analyzing the environmental factors that reinforce problematic behaviors, clinicians can design interventions to weaken these reinforcements and replace maladaptive behaviors with healthier alternatives.
    In operant conditioning, behaviors that are...