Chapter 11

Question 1

Automatic Reinforcement

Answer 1

1st Instance: Determined by the absence of social mediation

2nd Instance: Assumed when a behavior persists in the absence of any known reinforcer

Question 2

Automaticity of Reinforcement

Answer 2

The fact that a person does not have to understand or verbalize the relation between his or her actions and a reinforcing consequence, or for that matter even be aware that a consequence has occurred, for reinforcement to occur

Question 3

Abolishing Operation

Answer 3

MO decreases the effectiveness of a reinforcer

Question 4

Establishing Operation

Answer 4

Motivating operations take two forms, and MO increases the current effectiveness of a reinforcer is called an establishing operation.

Question 5

Motivating Operation

Answer 5

Environmental variables that have two effects on behavior: (1) they alter the operant reinforcing effectiveness of some specific stimuli, objects, or events (the value-altering effect); and (2) they alter the momentary frequency of all behavior that has been reinforced by those stimuli, objects, or events (the behavior altering effect).

Question 6

Discriminative Stimulus SD

Answer 6

Is an antecedent

stimulus correlated with the availability of reinforcement for a particular response class.

Question 7

Positive Reinforcement

Answer 7

Occurs when a response is followed immediately by the presentation of a stimulus change that increases the future occurrence of similar responses.

Question 8

Conditioned Reinforcer

Answer 8

A reinforcer that is the result of the learning history of the individual - previously neutral stimulus change that has acquired the capability to function as a reinforcer through stimulus-stimulus pairing with one or more unconditioned/conditioned reinforcers

Question 9

Unconditioned Reinforcer

Answer 9

A reinforcer that is the product of the evolution of the species - a stimulus change that functions as reinforcement even though the learner has had no particular learning history with it; syn. unlearned reinforcer/primary reinforcer

Question 10

Verbal Analog Conditioning

Answer 10

Neutral stimuli become conditioned reinforcers for humans without direct physical pairing with another reinforcer through a pairing process

Question 11

Generalized Conditioned Reinforcer

Answer 11

Conditioned reinforcer that as a result of having been paired with many unconditioned and conditioned reinforcers does not depend on current EO for any particular form of reinforcement for its effectiveness

Question 12

Pre-Mack Principal

Answer 12

Making the opportunity to engage in a behavior that occurs at a relatively high free operant (or baseline) rate contingent on the occurrence of low-frequency behavior will function as reinforcement for the low-occurrence behavior.

Question 13

Stimulus Preference Assessment

Answer 13

Refers to a variety of procedures used to determine (a) the stimuli that the person differentially selects (b) the relative hierarchical preference value of those stimuli (high preference to low preference), (c) the conditions under which those preference values change when task demands, deprivation states, or schedules of reinforcement are modified, and (d) whether highly preferred items ultimately serve as effective reinforcers

Question 14

Single-Stimulus (SS)

Answer 14

Across a series of trials, stimuli are presented one at a time. Approach responses (e.g., moving hand or body toward the item) are recorded. Preference hierarchies are established by calculating the percentage of approach responses per stimulus.

Question 15

Paired-Stimulus

Answer 15

Across a series of trials, stimuli are presented two at a time, individuals can approach (i.e., select) only one item on a trial. Approach responses are recorded. Preference hierarchies are established by calculating the percentage of approach responses per stimulus.

Question 16

Multiple-Stimulus-Without-Replacement

Answer 16

At the start of each session, multiple stimuli are placed in front of the individual, who can select one. Approach responses are recorded. The selected item is not replaced, and the positions of the remaining stimuli are changed. Then the individual selects from the remaining items. Continue in this manner until all items have been selected or the individual stops selecting items. Typically, several sessions are conducted. Preference hierarchies are established by calculating the percentage of approach responses per stimulus across all sessions.

Question 17

Brief Free Operant

Answer 17

Multiple stimuli are placed on a tabletop, and participants are free to engage with any of the items for 5 min. Duration of engagement with each object is measured. Preference hierarchies are established by ranking items according to the duration of object manipulation for each stimulus.

Question 18

Contrived Free Operant Observation

Answer 18

Practioners use contrived observation to determine whether, when, how, and the extent to which the person engages with each of a predetermined set of activities and materials. The observation is contrived because the researcher or practioner “salts” the environment with a variety of items that may be of interests to the learner.

Question 19

Naturalistic Free Operant Observation

Answer 19

Conducted in the learner’s everyday environment. As unobtrusively as possible, the observer notes how the learner allocates his time and records the number of minutes the learner devotes to each activity.

Question 20

Noncontingent reinforcement

Answer 20

NCR is the presentation of a potential reinforcer on a fixed-time or variable-time schedule independent of the occurrence of the target behavior.

Question 21

Differential Reinforcement of Other Behavior

Answer 21

Delivers a potential reinforcer whenever the target behavior has not occurred during a set time interval or at a specific point in time

Question 22

Differential Reinforcement of Alternative Behavior

Answer 22

Used as a control condition, the potential reinforcer is presented contingent on occurrences of a desirable alternative to the target behavior