Behaviour Modification (Operant Conditioning)

Question 1

What is operant conditioning

Answer 1

Process where a response is more frequent as a function of the consequence it produces

Question 2

What is a respondent

Answer 2

A behaviour that is elicited by a specific stimuli

Question 3

How do we influence the rate of occurrence of a behaviour

Answer 3

Manipulating the consequence it produces

Question 4

What are the three steps of operant learning

Answer 4

antecedent -> behaviour (R) -> food reward

Question 5

Another term for operant learning

Answer 5

Instrumental learning

Question 6

How do you teach more complex behaviours

Answer 6

String together Rs
Touch wand -> touch hoop -> jump through hoop

Question 7

What is a consequence that increases the frequency of behaviour called

Answer 7

Reinforcer

Question 8

What is a consequence that decreases the frequency of behaviour called

Answer 8

punisher

Question 9

Describe positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, positive punishment and negative punishment in terms of consequence and change in response

Answer 9

PR = add consequence to increase behaviour
NR = remove consequence to increase behaviour
PP = add consequence to decrease behaviour
NP = remove consequence to decrease behaviour

Question 10

When is a bridging stimulus needed

Answer 10

During positive reinforcement

Question 11

What is a bridging stimulus, what kind of temporal paradigm are they?

Answer 11

Bridges the response and the delivery of the reinforcement
Trace temporal paradigm (anticipatory)

Question 12

When does the bridging stimulus become a secondary reinforcer

Answer 12

When it takes on the properties of the reinforcement (treat) via classical conditioning

Question 13

A positive reinforcer is…

Answer 13

A reinforcer that produces an increase in the frequency of the desired behaviour (e.g. food)

Question 14

A negative reinforcer is…

Answer 14

reinforcer that strengthens a behaviour by removing what is aversive
e.g. choke collar

Question 15

What is negative reinforcement

Answer 15

Negative reinforcer is removed, leading to termination of pain/reduction of fear
e.g. person scares dog, they growl, person leaves

Question 16

What is punishment

Answer 16

Present an aversive stimulus or remove a pleasurable stimulus after an undesirable behaviour has occurred, which reduces behaviour in future

Question 17

What is positive vs negative punishment

Answer 17

Positive = presentation of aversive stimulus
Negative = removal of pleasurable stimulus

Question 18

How does the success of punishment compare to that of reinforcement?

Answer 18

Temporary effects
Behaviour that is suppressed might be “saved up” and appear again

Question 19

Types of positive punishment

Answer 19

1. Interactive punishment: animal associates unpleasant stimulus with person, behaves differently when person is around, fear-related problems may arise, aggression
2. Remote punishment: association between punishing stimulus and person is removed (shock collars)

Question 20

Example of negative punishment

Answer 20

Social punishment (remove social interaction; timeout)

Question 21

What does successive approximation help us do

Answer 21

Modify existing behaviour or create new one

Question 22

What is successive approximation

Answer 22

Trial and error learning
Animal’s natural curiosity

Question 23

How does successive approximation work

Answer 23

Reinforce dogs movement in the right direction

Any increment that approximates the goal becomes the new threshold (what is needed for the reward). does not have to be significant change
Leads to extinction of previous behaviour that no longer meets the threshold

Selective reinforcement

Question 24

What can we do with a behaviour once it is shaped

Answer 24

Chain it

Question 25

What was skinner’s rat trick

Answer 25

Rat pulls string releasing a marble
Pick up the marble with paws, carry it to a tube
Drop it in the tube, receive a pellet

Question 26

What is a heterogeneous chain

Answer 26

Chain involving multiple types of behaviours

Question 27

A chain that involves only one type of behaviour is…. e.g.?

Answer 27

Homogenous chain
e.g. 1 press, 2 press, 3 press

Question 28

Why are schedules of reinforcement helpful

Answer 28

Produce reliable patterns of behaviour that can be maintained

Question 29

Two different schedules to provide reinforcement based on…

Answer 29

Time (interval)
Response (ratio)

Question 30

What is a fixed interval schedule? example

Answer 30

Reinforces the first response after a set period of time (1 min, 1 min, 1min)
e.g. buses

Question 31

What is a variable interval schedule? example?

Answer 31

Reinforcement for the response occuring after some average period of time (VI 1min = reinforce at 10s, 5m, 30s = average 1 min)
e.g. trying to get through on a busy phone line

Question 32

What is a fixed ratio schedule?

Answer 32

Given # of responses made before reinforcement is delivered (FR 20 = 20 responses required)

Question 33

What follows the reinforcement in a fixed ratio schedule

Answer 33

A pause, then high steady state of responding

Question 34

What is a variable ratio schedule? Ex?

Answer 34

Reinforcement after varying # of responses, requiring an average (VR 25 = some 2, 100 = average of 25 responses)
e.g. slot machines, phone apps

Question 35

How is a behaviour maintained? What happens if it is not

Answer 35

Occasional reinforcement
if not, extinction

Question 36

Difference between extinction and forgetting

Answer 36

Extinction = active process
Forgetting = passive process

Question 37

Best schedule for behaviour maintenance?

Answer 37

Variable ratio

Question 38

What is the main limitation of maintenance?

Answer 38

If it goes against the animals natural behaviours
Instinctive drift