Chapter 4a Flashcards
operant conditioning
when behavior is selected by reinforcing consequences it increases in frequency, or when it decreases in frequency when it is not followed by reinforcing consequences
a major way that behavior or organisms is changed on the basis of ontogeny
operant
behavior that operates on the environment to produce effects or consequences which strengthens behavior
positive reinforcer
any consequence or effect that increases the probability of the operant that produced it
topography
the physical form of characteristics of the response
operant class
a class of related responses that may vary in topography, but produce a common environmental response
emitted
behavior that occurs without an observable stimulus preceding it
elicited
reflexive responses that occur due to a preceding stimulus
discriminative stimulus (Sd)
a stimulus that precedes an operant and sets the occasion for behavior
differential reinforcement
reinforcing an operant in one situation but not in another
S-delta
the stimulus that precedes the response when an operant does not produce reinforcement
low probability of emitting the operant
contingency of reinforcement
the relationship among the events that set the occasion for behavior, the operant class, and the consequences that follow operant behavior
positive reinforcement
a stimulus follows a behavior and as a result the rate of that behavior increases
negative reinforcement
when an operant removes an event and the procedure increases the rate of response
positive punishment
when an operant produces an event and the rate of operant behavior decreases
negative punishment
when the removal of an event or stimulus decreases operant behavior
