The basic process by which operant learning occurs; Consequences result in an increased or decreased frequency of the same type of behavior under similar motivational and environmental conditions consequences (stimulus changes immediately following responses) result in an increased (reinforcement) or decreased (punishment) frequency of the same type of behavior under similar motivational and environmental conditions.

Chapter 2 - Basic Concepts & Principles Flashcards by Bridget Cichello

antecedent

An environmental condition or stimulus change existing or occurring prior to a behavior of interest

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automatic reinforcement

Reinforcement that occurs independent of the social mediation of others (e.g. scratching an insect bite relieves the itch)

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automaticity (of reinforcement)

Refers to the fact that behavior is modified by its consequences irrespective of the person’s awareness:

a person does not have to recognize or verbalize the relation between their behavior and a reinforcing consequence, or even know that a consequence has occurred, for reinforcement to “work.” (contrast with automatic reinforcement)

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aversive stimulus

In general, an unpleasant or noxious stimulus;

more technically, a stimulus change or condition that functions
(a) to evoke a behavior that has terminated it in the past,
(b) as a punisher when presented following behavior and/or
(c) as a reinforcer when withdrawn following behavior.

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behavior

That portion of an organisms’s interaction with its environment that involves movement of some part of the organism (Johnson & Pennypacker, 2009)

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behavior change tactic

A technologically consistent method for changing behavior derived from one or more principles of behavior (e.g. response cost is derived from the principle of negative punishment);

possesses sufficient generality across subjects, settings, and/or behaviors to warrant its codification and dissemination.

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conditioned punisher

A previously neutral stimulus change that functions as a punisher because of prior pairing with one or more other punishers.

Sometimes called secondary or learned

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conditioned reflex

A learned stimulus-response functional relation consisting of an antecedent stimulus (e.g. sound of refrigerator door opening) and the response it elicits (e.g. salivation): each person’s repertoire of __________ ___________ is the product of his/her history of interactions with the environment (ontogeny).

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conditioned reinforcer

A stimulus change that functions as a reinforcer because of prior pairing with one or more other reinforcers (sometimes called secondary or learned).

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conditioned stimulus

The stimulus component of a conditioned reflex; a formerly neutral stimulus change that elicits respondent behavior only after it has been paired with an unconditioned stimulus or another conditioned stiumulus

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consequence

A stimulus change that follows a behavior of interest.

Some ______, especially those that are immediate and relevant to current motivational states, have significant influence on future behavior; others have little effect.

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contingency

Refers to dependent and/or temporal relations between operant behavior and its controlling variables

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contingency-shaped behavior

Behavior acquired by direct experience with contingencies

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contingent

Describes reinforcement (or punishment) that is delivered only after the target behavior has occurred

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deprivation

The state of an organism with respect to how much time has elapsed since it has consumed or contacted a particular type of reinforcer; also refers to a procedure for increasing the effectiveness of a reinforcer (e.g. withholding a person’s access to a reinforcer for a specified period of time prior to a session)

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discriminated operant

An operant that occurs more frequently under some antecedent operations than under others

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discriminative stimulus

A stimulus in the presence of which a given behavior has been reinforced and in the absence of which that behavior has not been reinforced;

as a result of this history, an ___ evokes operant behavior because its presence signals the availability of reinforcement

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environment

The conglomerate of real circumstances in which the organism or referenced part of the organism exists;

behavior cannot occur in the absence of _________.

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extinction

The discontinuing of a reinforcement of a previously reinforced behavior (i.e. responses no longer produce reinforcement); the primary effect is a decrease in the frequency of the behavior until it reaches prereinforced level or ultimately ceases to occur.

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habituation

A decrease in responsiveness to repeated presentations of a stimulus

most often used to describe a reduction of respondent behavior as a function of repeated presentation of the eliciting stimulus over a short span of time; some researchers suggest that the concept also applies to within-session changes in operant behavior

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higher-order conditioning

Development of a conditioned reflex by pairing of a neutral stimulus with a conditioned stimulus (also called secondary ________)

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history of reinforcement

An inclusive term referring in general to all of a person’s learning experiences and more specifically to past conditioning with respect to particular response classes or aspects of a person’s repertoire

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joint control

A phenomenon in which two separate, but interrelated forms of a person’s own verbal behavior, combine to acquire stimulus control of a response that would not have occurred in the absence of either.

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motivating operation

An environmental variable that
(a) alters (increases or decreases) the reinforcing or punishing effectiveness of some stimulus, object, or event; and
(b) alters (increases or decreases) the current frequency of all behavior that has been reinforced or punished by that stimulus, object, or event.

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negative punishment

A response behavior followed immediately by the removal of a stimulus (or a decrease in the intensity of the stimulus) that results in similar responses occurring less often

negative reinforcement

A contingency in which the occurrence of a response is followed immediately by the termination, reduction, postponement, or avoidance of a stimulus, and which leads to an increase in the future occurrences of similar responses.

neutral stimulus (NS)

A stimulus change that does not elicit respondent behavior

ontogeny

The history of the development of an individual organism during its lifetime

operant behavior

Behavior that is selected, maintained, and brought under stimulus control as a function of its consequences; ## Footnote each person's repertoire of ______ ________ is a product of his history of interactions with the environment (ontogeny)

operant conditioning

The basic process by which operant learning occurs; Consequences result in an increased or decreased frequency of the same type of behavior under similar motivational and environmental conditions ## Footnote consequences (stimulus changes immediately following responses) result in an increased (reinforcement) or decreased (punishment) frequency of the same type of behavior under similar motivational and environmental conditions.

phylogeny

The history of the natural evolution of a species

positive punishment

A response followed immediately by the presentation of a stimulus that decreases the frequency of the behavior

positive reinforcement

A response followed immediately by the presentation of a stimulus change that results in similar responses recurring more often

principle of behavior

A statement describing a functional relation between behavior and one or more of its controlling variables with generality across organisms, species, settings, behaviors, and time (e.g. extinction, positive reinforcement); an empirical generalization inferred from many experiments demonstrating the same functional relation.

punisher

A stimulus change that decreases the future occurrence of behavior that immediately precedes it.

punishment

A basic principle of behavior describing a response-consequence functional relation in which a response is followed immediately by a stimulus change that decreases future occurrences of that type of behavior

reflex

A stimulus-response relation consisting of an antecedent stimulus and the respondent behavior it elicits (e.g. bright light-pupil contraction). ## Footnote Unconditioned and conditioned _____ protect against harmful stimuli, help regulate the internal balance and economy of the organism, and promote reproduction.

reinforcement

A basic principle of behavior describing a response-consequence functional relation in which a response is followed immediately by a stimulus change that results in similar responses occurring more often.

reinforcer

A stimulus change that increases the future frequency of behavior that immediately precedes it

respondent behavior

The response component of a reflex; behavior that is elicited, or induced, by antecedent stimuli

repertoire

All of the behaviors a person can do; or a set of behaviors relevant to a particular setting or task | (e.g. gardening, mathematical problem solving)

selectionism

A theory that all forms of life natuarally and continually evolve as a result of the interaction between function and the survival value of that function. ## Footnote Operant _____by consequences is the conceptual and empirical foundations of behavior analysis.

response

A single instance or occurrence of a specific type or class of behaviors. Technical definition: an "action of an organism's effector. An effector is an organ at the end of an efferent nerve fiber that is specialized for altering its environment mechanically, chemically, or in terms of other energy changes." (Michael, 2004)

respondent extinction

The repeated presentation of a conditioned stimulus (CS) in the absence of the unconditioned stimulus (US); the CS gradually loses its ability to elicit the conditioned response until the conditioned reflex no longer appears in the individual's repertoire.

response class

A group of responses of varying topography, all of which produce the same effect on the environment.

rule-governed behavior

Behavior controlled by a rule (i.e. a verbal statement of an antecedent-behavior-consequence contingency); enables human behavior (e.g. fastening a seatbelt) to come under the indirect control of **temporally remote** or improbable, but potentially significant consequences (e.g. avoiding injury in an auto accident). ## Footnote Often used in contrast to contingency-shaped behavior, a term used to indicate behavior selected and maintained by temporally close consequences.

socially mediated contingency (reinforcement)

A contingency in which an antecedent stimulus and/or the consequence for the behavior is presented by another person.

stimulus

An energy change that affects an organism through its receptor cells (Michael, 2004).

stimulus class

A group of stimuli that share specified common elements along formal, temporal, and/or functional dimensions. ## Footnote A group of stimuli that share specified common elements along formal (e.g. size, color), temporal (antecedent or consequence), and/or functional (e.g. discriminative stimulus) dimensions.

stimulus control

A situation in which the frequency, latency, duration, or amplitude of a behavior is altered by the presence or absence of the antecedent stimulus.

stimulus-stimulus pairing

A procedure in which two stimuli are presented at the same time, usually repeatedly for a number of trials, which often results in one stimulus acquiring the function of another stimulus.

three-term contingency

The basic unit of analysis in the analysis of operant behavior; encompasses the temporal and possibly dependent relations among an antecedent stimulus, behavior, and consequence.

unconditioned punisher

A stimulus change that decreases the frequency of any behavior that immediately precedes it irrespective of the organism's learning history with the stimulus. ## Footnote _____ _____ are products of the evolutionary development of the species (phylogeny), meaning that all members of a species are more or less suceptible to ____ by the presentation of ______ ______.

unconditioned reinforcer

A stimulus change that increases the frequency of any behavior that immediately precedes it irrespective of the organism's learning history with that stimulus. Unconditioned reinforcers are the product of the evolutionary development of the species (phylogeny).

unconditioned stimulus

The stimulus component of an unconditioned reflex; a stimulus change that elicits respondent behavior without any prior learning

An environmental condition or stimulus change existing or occurring prior to a behavior of interest

antecedent

Reinforcement that occurs independent of the social mediation of others (e.g. scratching an insect bite relieves the itch)

automatic reinforcement

Refers to the fact that behavior is modified by its consequences irrespective of ther person's awareness: a person does not have to revognize or verbalize the relation between her behavior and a reinforcing consequence, or even know that a consequence has occurred, for reinforcement to "work." (contrast with automatic reinforcement)

automaticity (of reinforcement)

In general, an unpleasant or noxious stimulus; more technically, a stimulus change or condition that functions (a) to evoke a behavior that has terminated it in the past, (b) as a punisher when presented following behavior and/or (c) as a reinforcer when withdrawn following behavior.

aversive stimulus

That portion of an organisms's interaction with its environment that involves movement of some part of the organism (Johnson & Pennypacker, 2009)

behavior

A technologically consistent method for changing behavior derived from one or more principles of behavior (e.g. response cost is derived from the principle of negative punishment); possesses sufficient generality across subjects, settings, and/or behaviors to warrant its codification and dissemination.

behavior change tactic

A previously neutral stimulus change that functions as a punisher because of prior pairing with one or more other punishers. Sometimes called secondary or learned

conditioned punisher

A learned stimulus-response functional relation consisting of an antecedent stimulus (e.g. sound of refrigerator door opening) and the response it elicits (e.g. salivation): each person's repertoire of __________ ___________ is the product of his/her history of interactions with the environment (ontogeny).

conditioned reflex

A stimulus change that functions as a reinforcer because of prior pairing with one or more other reinforcers (sometimes called secondary or learned).

conditioned reinforcer

conditioned stimulus

A stimulus change that follows a behavior of interest. Some ______, especially those that are immediate and relevant to current motivational states, have significant influence on future behavior; others have little effect.

consequence

Refers to dependent and/or temporal relations between operant behavior and its controlling variables

contingency

Behavior acquired by direct experience with contingencies

contingency-shaped behavior

Describes reinforcement (or punishment) that is delivered only after the target behavior has occurred

contingent

The state of an organism with respect to how much time has elapsed since it has consumed or contacted a particular type of reinforcer; also refers to a procedure for increasing the effectiveness of a reinforcer (e.g. withholding a person's access to a reinforcer for a specified period of time prior to a session)

deprivation

An operant that occurs more frequently under some antecedent operations than under others

discriminated operant

A stimulus in the presence of which a given behavior has been reinforced and in the absence of which that behavior has not been reinforced; as a result of this history, an ___ evokes operant behavior because its presence signals the availability of reinforcement

discriminative stimulus

The conglomerate of real circumstances in which the organism or referenced part of the organism exists; behavior cannot occur in the absence of _________.

environment

extinction

A decrease in responsiveness to repeated presentations of a stimulus; most often used to describe a reduction of respondent behavior as a function of repeated presentation of the eliciting stimulus over a short span of time; some researchers suggest that the concept also applies to within-session changes in operant behavior

habituation

Development of a conditioned reflex by pairing of a neutral stimulus with a conditioned stimulus (also called secondary ________)

higher-order conditioning

An inclusive term referring in general to all of a person's learning experiences and more specifically to past conditioning with respect to particular response classes or aspects of a person's repertoire

history of reinforcement

A phenomenon in which two separate, but interrelated forms of a person's own verbal behavior, combine to acquire stimulus control of a response that would not have occurred in the absence of either.

joint control

An environmental variable that (a) alters (increases or decreases) the reinforcing or punishing effectiveness of some stimulus, object, or event; and (b) alters (increases or decreases) the current frequency of all behavior that has been reinforced or punished by that stimulus, object, or event.

motivating operation

A response behavior followed immediately by the removal of a stimulus (or a decrease in the intensity of the stimulus) that results in similar responses occurring less often

negative punishment

negative reinforcement

A stimulus change that does not elicit respondent behavior

neutral stimulus (NS)

The history of the development of an individual organism during its lifetime

ontogeny

Behavior that is selected, maintained, and brought under stimulus control as a function of its consequences; each person's repertoire of ______ ________ is a product of his history of interactions with the environment (ontogeny)

operant behavior

The basic process by which operant learning occurs; consequences (stimulus changes immediately following responses) result in an increased (reinforcement) or decreased (punishment) frequency of the same type of behavior under similar motivational and environmental conditions.

operant conditioning

The history of the natural evolution of a species

phylogeny

A response followed immediately by the presentation of a stimulus that decreases the frequency of the behavior

positive punishment

A response followed immediately by the presentation of a stimulus change that results in similar responses recurring more often

positive reinforcement

principle of behavior

A stimulus change that decreases the future occurrence of behavior that immediately precedes it.

punisher

punishment

A stimulus-response relation consisting of an antecedent stimulus and the respondent behavior it elicits (e.g. bright light-pupil contraction). Unconditioned and conditioned _____ protect against harmful stimuli, help regulate the internal balance and economy of the organism, and promote reproduction.

reflex

reinforcement

A stimulus change that increases the future frequency of behavior that immediately precedes it

reinforcer

The response component of a reflex; behavior that is elicited, or induced, by antecedent stimuli

respondent behavior

All of the behaviors a person can do; or a set of behaviors relevant to a particular setting or task (e.g. gardening, mathematical problem solving)

repertoire

A theory that all forms of life naturally and continually evolve as a result of the interaction between function and the survival value of that function. Operant selection by consequences is the conceptual nad empirical foundations of behavior analysis.

selectionism

response

respondent extinction

A group of responses of varying topography, all of which produce the same effect on the environment.

response class

Behavior controlled by a rule (i.e. a verbal statement if an antecedent-behavior-consequence contingency); enables human behavior (e.g. fastening a seatbelt) to come under the indirect control of temporally remote or improbable, but potentially significant consequences (e.g. avoiding injury in an auto accident). Often used in contrast to contingency-shaped behavior, a term used to indicate behavior selected and maintained by temporally close consequences.

rule-governed behavior

A contingency in which an antecedent stimulus and/or the consequence for the behavior is presented by another person.

socially mediated contingency (reinforcement)

An energy change that affects an organism through its receptor cells (Michael, 2004).

stimulus

A group of stimuli that share specified common elements along formal (e.g. size, color), temporal (antecedent or consequence), and/or functional (e.g. discriminative stimulus) dimensions.

stimulus class

A situation in which the frequency, latency, duration, or amplitude of a behavior is altered by the presence or absence of the antecedent stimulus.

stimulus control

A procedure in which two stimuli are presented at the same time, usually repeatedly for a number of trials, which often results in one stimulus acquiring the function of another stimulus.

stimulus-stimulus pairing

The basic unit of analysis in the analysis of operant behavior; encompasses the temporal and possibly dependent relations among an antecedent stimulus, behavior, and consequence.

three-term contingency

A stimulus change that decreases the frequency of any behavior that immediately precedes it irrespective of the organism's learning history with the stimulus. _____ _____ are products of the evolutionary development of the species (phylogeny), meaning that all members of a species are more or less suceptible to punishment by the presentation of ______ ______.

unconditioned punisher

A stimulus change that increases the frequency of any behavior that immediately precedes it irrespective of the organism's learning history with that stimulus. ## Footnote _____ _____ are the product of the evolutionary development of the species (phylogeny).

unconditioned reinforcer

The stimulus component of an unconditioned reflex; a stimulus change that elicits respondent behavior without any prior learning

unconditioned stimulus