CHAPTER 15 Skinner: Key Terms and Concepts Flashcards
Types of Conditioning
Classical and Operant conditioning
Skinner’s theory of personality is based largely on his ________ ________ of rats and pigeons.
behavioral analysis
Although ______ ______ such as thinking and feeling exist, they cannot be used as explanations of behavior.
internal states
Only _____ behavior can be studied by the scientist.
overt
Three forces shaped by human behavior
- The individual’s personal history of reinforcement
- Natural selection
- The evolution of cultural practices
A process of changing behavior in which reinforcement (or punishment) is contingent on the occurrence of a particular behavior.
Operant conditioning
Any event that, when added to a situation, increases the probability that a given behavior will occur.
positive reinforcer
Any aversive stimulus that, when removed from the environment, increases the probability of a given behavior.
negative reinforcer
Two types of punishment
- Presentation of an aversive stimulus
2. Removal of a positive stimulus
Reinforcement can be either _______ or _______.
continuous or intermittent (but intermittent schedules are more efficient)
The four principal intermittent schedules of reinforcement
- fixed-ratio
- variable-ratio
- fixed-interval
- variable-interval
Social control is achieved through?
- operant conditioning
- describing the contingencies of reinforcement
- depriving or satiating a person, or
- physically restraining an individual
People can also control their own behavior through __________, but all control ultimately rests with the environment and not free will.
self-control
Learned in the same way as all other behaviors, that is, mostly through operant conditioning.
Unhealthy behaviors
To change unhealthy behaviors, behavior therapists use a variety of _________ _________ techniques, all of which are based on the principles of operant conditioning.
behavior modification
