Ch. 8 - Extinction and Stimulus Control Flashcards
1
Q
Extinction
A
- nonreinforcement of a previously reinforced response, the result of which is a decrease in the future strength of that response
- weakening a behaviour that was strengthened through reinforcement
2
Q
process of extinction
A
- decline in responding as a result of the procedure of extinction (ex. withholding food delivery following a lever press)
3
Q
side effects of extinction
extinction burst
A
- temporary increase in the frequency and intensity of responding when extinction is first implemented
- ex. when we don’t get candy from the vending machine we don’t just give up. we are used to getting the candy so we will likely press the button a few more times often increasing force until we eventually give up
- causes the illusion of extinction not actually working but this is only temporary
4
Q
side effects of extinction
increase in variability
A
- ex. trying to press the buttons on the vending machine in different ways (slowly, holding it down for a sec, etc.) in order to try and still get our candy
- by using different variations (typically following an extinction burst), it makes it look like extinction isn’t working
5
Q
side effects of extinction
emotional behaviour or aggression
A
- ex. getting angry or frustrated when candy isn’t coming out
- looks like extinction isn’t working but it is because we are realizing candy isn’t coming out anymore
6
Q
side effects of extinction
resurgence
A
- reappearance, during extinction, of other behaviours that had previously been effective in obtaining reinforcement
- ex. unhappy in relationship = go hang out at spouse’s parents house (where they were once able to get that romantic reinforcement)
7
Q
side effects of extinction
depression
A
- behaviour going down to below normal frequency for a bit and then returning back to normal again
8
Q
resistance to extinction
A
- the extent to which responding persists after an extinction procedure has been implemented
9
Q
resistance to extinction
partial reinforcement effect
A
- behaviour that has been maintained on an intermittent schedule of reinforcement will extinguish more slowly than behaviour that has been maintained on a continuous schedule
- ex. FR 10 schedule vs FR 1 schedule
- the less predictable the reinforcer, the longer it will take the individual to notice that it’s gone
10
Q
resistance to extinction
if someone receives a greater number of reinforcers, will extinction be easier or take longer?
A
- more reinforcers for a certain behaviour = greater resistance to extinction
11
Q
Spontaneous recovery
A
- reappearance of an extinguished response, despite the continued absence of reinforcement, following a rest period after extinction
12
Q
differential reinforcement of other behaviour (DRO)
A
- reinforcement of any behaviour other than the target behaviour that is being extinguished
- more effective that normal extinction because it replaces the unwanted behaviour with a new, more appropriate one
- ex. weakening a child’s habit for whining for candy by taking away the reinforcer and also replacing it with better manners
13
Q
stimulus control
A
- presence of a discriminative stimulus (SD) reliably affects the probability of the behaviour (reliably evokes the behaviour)
14
Q
stimulus generalization
A
- tendency for an operant response to be emitted in the presence of a stimulus that is similar to a discriminative stimulus
- more similar it is, the stronger the response
15
Q
stimulus discrimination
A
- the tendency for an operant response to be emitted more in the presence of one stimulus than another
16
Q
discrimination training
A
- involves the reinforcement of responding in the presence of one stimulus (the SD) and not another stimulus
17
Q
multiple schedule
A
- 2 or more schedules presented in sequence, each resulting in reinforcement and each having a distinctive SD
- ex. pigeon learns it needs to peck 50 times when the red light comes on and only 10 times when the green light comes on
18
Q
behavioural contrast
A
- occurs when a change in the rate of reinforcement on one component of a multiple schedule produces an opposite change in the rate of response on another component
- as the rate of reinforcement on one changes in one direction, the other goes in the opposite direction
19
Q
anticipatory contrast
A
- the rate of response varies inversely with an upcoming “anticipated” change in the rate of reinforcement
- ex. increase in responding if extinction is anticipated to come soon (no more food)
20
Q
errorless discrimination training
A
- gradual training procedure that minimizes the number of errors (nonreinforced responses to the discriminative stimulus for extinction (signals the absence of reinforcement)) and reduces many of the adverse effects associated with discrimination training
- the SD they aren’t supposed to respond to is introduced slowly
21
Q
what are habits made from?
A
stimulus control
- seems to automatically occur within a certain setting or when we are exposed to a certain stimulus
- seems to require minimal effort, little planning, and may happen with little to no awareness
