Chapter 16- Skinner

Question 1

Skinner believed that most human behaviors are learned through what kind of conditioning?

Answer 1

Operant conditioning

Question 2

Give an example of classical conditioning

Answer 2

when a bell was sounded each time the dog was fed, the dog learns to associate the sound with the presentation of the food

Question 3

T/F operant conditioning is learning through association

Answer 3

False, classical conditioning is

Question 4

What is operant conditioning

Answer 4

Immediate reinforcement of a response in order to get a behavior to occur again

Question 5

What is shaping

Answer 5

procedure in which the experimenter rewards gross approximations of a behavior, then closer approximations, then finally the desired behavior

Question 6

What is positive reinforcement?

Answer 6

any stimulus that, when added to a situation, increases the probability that a given behavior will occur

Question 7

What is negative reinforcement?

Answer 7

The removal of an aversive stimulus from a situation that increases the probability that the behavior will occur, ex. eating to diminish hunger pangs

Question 8

What is punishment?

Answer 8

The presentation of an aversive stimulus, such as an electric shock, or the removal of a positive one, like a phone

Question 9

Does punishment strengthen a response?

Answer 9

No, and it doesn’t weaken it either

Question 10

What are some effects of punishment?

Answer 10

1. Suppress behavior
2. Conditioning of a negative feeling
3. Spread of its effects- any stimulus associated with punishment may be suppressed or avoided

Question 11

What are secondary/conditioned reinforcers?

Answer 11

Those environmental stimuli that are not by nature satisfying but become so when they are associated with such unlearned or primary reinforcers (ex. money can buy food)

Question 12

What are some primary reinforcers?

Answer 12

Food, water, sex, physical comfort

Question 13

What are the 2 main schedules if reinforcement?

Answer 13

Continuous- organism is reinforced for every response

Intermittent- organism is reinforced either based on behavior or on elapsed time, but not every time

Question 14

Which reinforcement schedule did Skinner prefer and why?

Answer 14

Intermittent because they produce responses more resistant to extinction

Question 15

What are the 4 types of intermittent schedules?

Answer 15

1. fixed-ratio
2. variable-ratio
3. fixed-interval
4. variable-interval

Question 16

“The organism is reinforced intermittently according to the number of responses it makes”

What kind of schedule is this?

Answer 16

fixed-ratio

Question 17

Give an example of a fixed-ratio schedule

Answer 17

Rewarding a pigeon with a pellet for every 5th peck it makes at a disk

Question 18

“The organism is reinforced after an unpredictable number of responses” What schedule is this?

Answer 18

Variable-ratio

Question 19

Give an example of a variable-ratio schedule

Answer 19

Playing slot machines

Question 20

“The organism is reinforced for the first response following a designated period of time” What schedule is this?

Answer 20

Fixed-interval

Question 21

Give an example of a fixed-interval schedule

Answer 21

Employees working for salary- they get paid every 2 weeks

Question 22

“The organism is reinforced after a lapse of random or varied periods of time” What kind of schedule is this?

Answer 22

Variable-interval

Question 23

Give an example of a variable-interval schedule

Answer 23

Random verbal praise, pop quizzes, or waiting for the elevator

Question 24

Give an example of a discriminative stimulus

Answer 24

You say hello (operant behavior) only when you see someone you know, not everyone you see

The person you know would be the discriminative stimulus

Question 25

Give a laboratory and real life example of shaping

Answer 25

Lab- Skinner box; Rat moved around the box and accidentally knock a lever, this would then be rewarded. This led to the rats doing the desired behavior (pulling lever) after they learned of the consequences of it (food)

IRL- Getting your kid to clean their room; start by just asking them to pick up clothes and rewarding that behavior, then after a while ask to pick up toys and reward that behavior, continue until child is cleaning entire room

Question 26

Skinner believed behavior is shaped by what 3 forces?

Answer 26

1. Natural selection
2. The evolution of cultures
3. The individual’s personal history of reinforcement

Question 27

What is a discriminative stimulus?

Answer 27

A stimulus in the presence of which a response is reinforced, basically some responses only occur when in a certain environment