6.2 Operant conditioning

Question 1

Operant conditioning

Answer 1

a type of learning in which behaviour is influenced by consequences

Question 2

Reinforcement

Answer 2

a process in which an event or reward that follows a response increases the likelihood of that response occurring again

Question 3

Law of effect

Answer 3

the idea that responses followed by satisfaction will occur again in the same situation, whereas those that are not followed by satisfaction become less likely

Question 4

Reinforcer

Answer 4

a stimulus that is contingent upon a response and that increases the probability of that response occurring again

Question 5

Punishment

Answer 5

a process that decreases the future probability of a response

Question 6

Punisher

Answer 6

a stimulus that is contingent upon a response, and that results in a decrease in behaviour

Question 7

Positive - conditioning

Answer 7

a stimulus is added to a situation

Question 8

Negative - conditioning

Answer 8

a stimulus is removed from a situation

Question 9

Classical vs Operant

Answer 9

Classical - response is not required for reward
Operant - response is required for reward

Question 10

Positive reinforcement

Answer 10

strengthening of behaviour after potential reinforcers such as praise, money, or nourishment follow that behaviour

Question 11

Negative reinforcement

Answer 11

strengthening of a behaviour because it removes or diminishes a stimulus

Question 12

Avoidance learning

Answer 12

a specific type of negative reinforcement that removes the possibility that a stimulus will occur

Question 13

Escape learning

Answer 13

occurs if a response removes a stimulus that is already present

Question 14

Shaping

Answer 14

reinforcing successive approximations of a specific operant response (build up/work towards/steps)

Question 15

Chaining

Answer 15

involves linking together two or more shaped behaviours into a more complex action or sequence of actions

Question 16

Applied behaviour analysis (ABA)

Answer 16

using close observation, prompting, and reinforcement to teach behaviours - austism

Question 17

Primary reinforcers

Answer 17

consist of reinforcing stimuli that satisfy basic motivational needs

Question 18

Secondary reinforcers

Answer 18

consist of stimuli that acquire their reinforcing effects only after we learn that they have value

Question 19

Nucleus accumbens

Answer 19

activated during the processing of rewards

Question 20

Discriminative stimulus

Answer 20

a cue or event that indicates that a response, if made, will be reinforced

Question 21

Extinction - operant

Answer 21

the weakening of an operant response when reinforcement is no longer available

Question 22

Schedules of reinforcements

Answer 22

rules that determine when reinforcement is available

Question 23

Continuous reinforcement

Answer 23

every response made results in reinforcement

Question 24

Partial (intermittent) reinforcement

Answer 24

only a certain number of responses are rewarded, or a certain amount of time must pass before reinforcement is available

Question 25

Fixed-ratio schedule

Answer 25

reinforcement is delivered after a specific number of responses have been completed

Question 26

Variable-ratio schedule

Answer 26

the number of responses required to receive reinforcement varies according to an average

Question 27

Fixed-interval schedule

Answer 27

reinforces the first response occurring after a set amount of time passes

Question 28

Variable-interval schedule

Answer 28

first response is reinforced following a variable amount of time

Question 29

Partial reinforcement effect

Answer 29

a phenomenon in which organisms that have been conditioned under partial reinforcement resist extinction longer than those conditioned under continuous reinforcement