Chapter 5 Flashcards
accidental reinforcement
An instance in which the delivery of a reinforcer happens to coincide with a particular response, even though that response was not responsible for the reinforcer presentation. Also called adventitious reinforcement. This type of reinforcement was considered to be responsible for “superstitious” behavior.
adventitious reinforcement
accidental reinforcement
appetitive stimulus
pleasant or satisfying stimulus that can be used to positively reinforce an instrumental response
aversive stimulus
An unpleasant or annoying stimulus that can be used to punish an instrumental response.
avoidance
An instrumental conditioning procedure in which the instrumental response prevents the delivery of an aversive stimulus.
behavioral contrast
Change in the value of a reinforcer produced by prior experience with a reinforcer of a higher or lower value. Prior experience with a lower valued reinforcer increases reinforcer value (positive behavioral contrast), and prior experience with a higher valued reinforcer reduces reinforcer value (negative behavioral contrast).
belongingness
The idea, originally proposed by Thorndike, that an organism’s evolutionary history makes certain responses fit or belong with certain reinforcers. Belongingness facilitates learning.
conditioned reinforcer
A stimulus that becomes an effective reinforcer because of its association with a primary or unconditioned reinforcer. Also called secondary reinforcer.
contiguity
The occurrence of two events, such as a response and a reinforcer, at the same time or very close together in time. Also called temporal contiguity.
DRO/Differential reinforcement of other behavior
An instrumental conditioning procedure in which a
positive reinforcer is periodically delivered only if the
participant does something other than the target
response.
discrete-trial procedure
A method of instrumental conditioning in which the participant can perform the instrumental response only during specified periods, usually determined either by placement of the participant in an experimental chamber or by the presentation of a stimulus.
escape
An instrumental conditioning procedure in
which the instrumental response terminates an aversive
stimulus. (See also negative reinforcement.)
free-operant procedure
A method of instrumental conditioning that permits repeated performance of the instrumental response without intervention by the experimenter. (Compare with discrete-trial procedure.)
instinctive drift
A gradual drift of instrumental behavior away from the responses required for reinforcement to species-typical, or instinctive, responses related to the reinforcer and to other stimuli in the experimental situation.
instrumental behavior
an activity that occurs because it is effective in producing a particular reinforcer
interim response
A response that has its highest probability in the middle of the interval between successive presentations of a reinforcer, when the rein-forcer is not likely to occur.
latency
the time between the start of a trial (or start of stimulus) and the instrumental response
law of effect
A mechanism of instrumental behavior, proposed by Thorndike, which states that if a response
(R) is followed by a satisfying event in the presence of a
stimulus (S), the association between the stimulus and
the response (S-R) will be strengthened; if the response
is followed by an annoying event, the S-R association
will be weakened.
learned-helplessness effect
Interference with the learning of new instrumental responses as a result of exposure to inescapable and unavoidable aversive stimulation.
learned-helplessness hypothesis
The proposal that exposure to inescapable and unavoidable aversive stimulation reduces motivation to respond and disrupts subsequent instrumental conditioning because participants learn that their behavior does not control outcomes.
magazine training
A preliminary stage of instrumental conditioning in which a stimulus is repeatedly paired with the reinforcer to enable the participant to learn to go and get the reinforcer when it is presented. The sound of the food-delivery device, for example, may be repeatedly paired with food so that the animal will learn to go to the food cup when food is delivered.
marking procedure
A procedure in which the instrumental response is immediately followed by a distinctive event (the participant is picked up or a flash of light is presented) that makes the instrumental response more memorable and helps overcome the deleterious effects of delayed reinforcement.
negative punishment
omission training, or differential reinforcement of other behavior
negative reinforcement
An instrumental conditioning procedure in which there is a negative contingency between the instrumental response and an aversive stimulus. If the instrumental response is performed, the aversive stimulus is terminated or canceled; if the instrumental response is not performed, the aversive stimulus is presented.
omission training
An instrumental conditioning procedure in which the instrumental response prevents the delivery of a reinforcing stimulus. (See also differential reinforcement of other behavior.)
operant response
A response that is defined by the effect it produces in the environment. Examples include pressing a lever and opening a door. Any sequence of movements that depresses the lever or opens the door constitutes an instance of that particular operant.
positive reinforcement
An instrumental conditioning procedure in which there is a positive contingency between the instrumental response and an appetitive stimulus or reinforcer. If the participant performs the response, it receives the reinforcer if the participant does not perform the response, it does not receive the reinforcer.
positive punishment
punishment
punishment
An instrumental conditioning procedure in which there is a positive contingency between the instrumental response and an aversive stimulus. If the participant performs the instrumental response, it receives the aversive stimulus; if the participant does not perform the instrumental response, it does not receive the aversive stimulus.
response-reinforcer contingency
The relation of a response to a reinforcer defined in terms of the probability of getting reinforced for making the response as compared to the probability of getting reinforced in the absence of the response.
response shaping
reinforcement of successive approximations to a desired instrumental response
secondary reinforcer
same as conditioned reinforcer
superstitious behavior
Behavior that increases in frequency because of accidental pairings of the delivery of a reinforcer with occurrences of the behavior.
temporal contiguity
contiguity
temporal relation
the time interval between an instrumental response and reinforcer
terminal response
a response that is most likely at the end of the interval between successive reinforcements that are presented at fixed intervals
