Ch.5: Extinction

Question 1

Extinction

Answer 1

The procedure of withholding reinforcers that maintain a behaviour.

Question 2

Spontaneous Recovery

Answer 2

The tendency for extinguished behaviour to occur again in situations similar to those it had been previously reinforced. Repeated sessions of extinction (usually in multiple settings) are required to prevent spontaneous recovery.

Question 3

Operant Extinction: Reinstatement

Answer 3

Recovery of an extinguished behaviour when the reinforcer is presented alone.

Ex: one free thing of food for pigeons is given and they start routinely pecking again.

-This is why cheat days don’t work and you never let a sober alcoholic drink.

Question 4

Operant Extinction: Extinction Burst

Answer 4

A temporary increase in the reinforced behaviour. Increase occurs for dimension of behaviour that was reinforced (duration, frequency, force etc). Occurs when reinforcement is initially withdrawn.

Question 5

Operant Extinction: Increase in Operant Variability

Answer 5

Greater likelihood of reinstating reinforcement or contacting other sources of reinforcement
-Emotional responses
Ex: bears attacking after being fed and then not being fed.

Question 6

Resistance to Extinction

Answer 6

Partial Reinforcement Effect (PRE): means that behaviors that are rewarded only sometimes (on an intermittent reinforcement schedule) are harder to stopthan behaviors that are rewarded every time.

In simple terms: if you don’t get a reward every time you do something, you’ll keep trying longer because you’re used to not always getting the reward. It’s like how you might keep playing a game even if you don’t win every time, hoping for that occasional win.

Ex. FR100 vs. CRF- when put onto extinction 100 responses need to be made before the organism on FR100 has contacted the extinction contingency once. Compare to a CRF where contact to extinction is immediate.

Question 7

Is Extinction learning or forgetting?

Answer 7

Extinction is NEW LEARNING, NOT FORGETTING.