4: The motivating role of the reinforcer Flashcards
Describe the role of frustration in the paradoxical reward effect, and how this related to extinction.
Frustration causes an increase of R when Rft is omitted. This response eventually dies down, causing extinction
Explain the possible role of frustration in PREE (partial Rft extinction effect).
Which type of recovery is this?
PREE= partial Rft extinction effect.
Partial Rft causes delayed extinction of R, whereas continuous Rft causes earlier extinction.
When a S is omitted, frustration can cause a continued R. This is a possible explanation for PREE.
This frustrated persistence is a spontaneous (behavioural) recovery.
Define S-R learning (Thorndyke, Hull) in the context of motivation in law and effect for instrumental learning
The reinforcer has to be satisfying at the time of the response to stamp in the connection between S and R, creating motivation to repeat the R.
This satisfaction creates S-R learning. No learning will occur without rewarding properties of the Rft
Define and describe Tolman’s challenge to the S-R model. Use latent learning for maze rats as an example.
Latent learning: Rats are able to learn their way around a maze whether or not they receive Rft (food at end of maze). When food is then introduced as a Rft, rats can navigate twds it just as quickly, or even faster, than those who had been receiving this Rft from the beginning.
It’s the motivation for the Rft which improves performance, not the presence of Rft during learning phase.
Describe Hull’s drive theory of motivation and learning, and how reinforcement is created in this theory.
Biological needs cause a drive/ motivation towards behaviour to address those needs (food, sex etc). Behaviours which result in these needs being met provide more Rft, leading to increase in those behaviours.
Behaviour is therefore organised to reduce those needs. That reduction is the reward, and anything that is paired with that reward becomes the Rft. This can be environmental (classical) or behavioural (instrumental).
Hull: Behaviour= habit x drive can also be worded as
Behaviour= learning x motivation
What are some limitations of Hull’s drive theory?
- A lot of reinforcers for human behaviour are not driven by biological need.
- Doesn’t explain individual differences in motivation for diverse behaviours eg everyone likes different types of play. Play could be used as a Rft but needs to be tailored to the individual.
Describe the theory behind the Premack principle
a behaviour, such as eating, also serves as a Rft the event of eating (the consumption rather than the presence of food is reinforcing).
This Rft is a behaviour the organism wants to do more than the Response eg the rat wants to eat the food more than push the lever.
What is the Premack principle?
Given sufficient freedom, you can predict a successful Rft by observing an individuals preferred behaviour.
What does ‘relative behavioural property’ mean for the Premack principle?
High probability behaviour: Currently preferred behaviour
Low probability behaviour: Less preferred behaviour:
The low probability behaviour is the relative behavioural property
What is meant by ‘reinforcement is dynamic’ in the Premack principle?
Preferred behaviour, which is the reinforcer, is dynamic in that current preference is changeable
The outcome of an S-R learning system that was unaffected by motivation could be described as…(one word)
Habit
How do discriminative stimuli (S) influence motivational states? Give an example.
SD can trigger motivational states, therefore activating S-R outcomes only following certain environmental cues.
Eg flight attendants’ smoking cravings decrease at the beginning of a flight and stay low for the duration of the flight, only increasing when environmental cues tell them they may be able to have a cigarette soon ( packing up flight getting ready to land). Expectation is driven by stimuli in the environment, regardless of how long the flight is.
What is outcome devaluation, and how is it implemented?
When a S has 2 possible reactions leading each to different O, devaluing one responses outcome causes the organism to opt for the other R–>0. The outcome can be devalued by making it unappealing (eg add poison to food) or satiating the organism w that outcome (eg give them 2L of chocolate ice-cream).
Define occasion setting in goal directed behaviour. How does this differ from habitual behaviour?
The S sets the occasion that a certain R will lead to a certain O (R.a–>O.a. R.b–>O.b)
This differs from habitual behaviour in that the organism has agency and motivation twds a certain R causing a certain O following a S in a given situation. Habitual behaviour is not dynamic as such.
