Chapter 4 - Behavioural Approaches

Question 1

3 assumptions of Skinner Box

Answer 1

• Rely only on directly observable measures
• Psychology = objective science
• Analyze behaviour without appeal to subjective psychological events

Question 2

What assumptions are Skinner’s theory based on?

Answer 2

1. Human behaviour follows certain laws
2. Causes of behaviour studied outside the person and can be observed

Question 3

Respondents

Answer 3

Involuntary responses elicited by a stimulus that are

Question 4

Are most regular behaviours conditioned or operant?

Answer 4

Operant

Question 5

Why do people engage in operant behaviour

Answer 5

Consequence of action

Question 6

Positive reinforcement

Answer 6

Positive reinforcer presented when desired behaviour shown

Question 7

Negative reinforcement

Answer 7

Negative reinforcer removed when desired behaviour shown

Question 8

Punishment

Answer 8

Introduce negative contingency/terminate positive one

Question 9

Continuous reinforcement schedule

Answer 9

Every desired response is reinforced

Question 10

Intermittent reinforcement

Answer 10

Reinforcement occurs only sometimes

Question 11

Combined schedule

Answer 11

Combination of continuous and intermittent reinforcement

Question 12

Concurrent reinforcement

Answer 12

Different schedules associated with different behaviours presented concurrently (i.e. 2 loyalty programs to choose from)

Question 13

Fixed ratio

Answer 13

Every x amount of behaviours you get a reward

Question 14

Fixed interval

Answer 14

Fixed number of behaviours to get reward(i.e for every 5 behaviours a reward is given)

Question 15

Variable ratio

Answer 15

Randomly rewarded (i.e. gambling)

Question 16

Variable interval

Answer 16

Unknown reward schedule

Question 17

Magazine training

Answer 17

Operant conditioning, magazine = food delivery system in Skinner box, rat learns to associate cue with food dispersion from magazine

Question 18

Extinction rate

Answer 18

Amount of time that passes before organism stops responding after withdrawal of reinforcement

Question 19

What schedule is best for rapid extinction?

Answer 19

Continuous

Question 20

Which is better for extinction, fixed or variable schedules

Answer 20

Fixed

Question 21

Premack principle

Answer 21

Reinforcers can be activities or responses, more preferred activities can reinforce less preferred activities

Question 22

Attention Economy Theory

Answer 22

Attention is a commodity, companies aim to capture attention for as long as possible (monetization)

Question 23

Problematic Social Media Use (PSMU)

Answer 23

Social media becomes most important thing and person is addicted to it

Question 24

6 components to PSMU

Answer 24

• Salience
• Mood modification
• Tolerance
• Withdrawl symptoms
• Conflict (with daily tasks)
• Relapse

Question 25

Thorndike’s Law of Effect

Answer 25

Tendency to repeat successful behaviour that is discovered through trial and error

Question 26

Law of Readiness

Answer 26

Motivation to perform behaviour affects likelihood of learning
(Ready to act -> satisfied by action)

Question 27

5 subsidiary laws of Law of Effect

Answer 27

• Law of multiple responses
• Law of set/attitude
• Law of prepotency of elements
• Law of response by analogy
• Associative shifting

Question 28

Law of multiple responses

Answer 28

New situation -> trial and error to find best outcome

Question 29

Law of set/attitude

Answer 29

Previous experience can affect how new stimuli are perceived

Question 30

Law of prepotence of elements

Answer 30

Selective focus on significant details in situation and ignoring irrelevant parts

Question 31

Law of response by analogy

Answer 31

New learning situations approached using past similar techniques

Question 32

Associative shifting

Answer 32

Gradual shifting of response from one stimulus to another via intermediate step