Chapter 5

Question 1

accidental reinforcement

Answer 1

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.

Question 2

adventitious reinforcement

Answer 2

accidental reinforcement

Question 3

appetitive stimulus

Answer 3

pleasant or satisfying stimulus that can be used to positively reinforce an instrumental response

Question 4

aversive stimulus

Answer 4

An unpleasant or annoying stimulus that can be used to punish an instrumental response.

Question 5

avoidance

Answer 5

An instrumental conditioning procedure in which the instrumental response prevents the delivery of an aversive stimulus.

Question 6

behavioral contrast

Answer 6

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).

Question 7

belongingness

Answer 7

The idea, originally proposed by Thorndike, that an organism’s evolutionary history makes certain responses fit or belong with certain reinforcers. Belongingness facilitates learning.

Question 8

conditioned reinforcer

Answer 8

A stimulus that becomes an effective reinforcer because of its association with a primary or unconditioned reinforcer. Also called secondary reinforcer.

Question 9

contiguity

Answer 9

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.

Question 10

DRO/Differential reinforcement of other behavior

Answer 10

An instrumental conditioning procedure in which a
positive reinforcer is periodically delivered only if the
participant does something other than the target
response.

Question 11

discrete-trial procedure

Answer 11

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.

Question 12

escape

Answer 12

An instrumental conditioning procedure in
which the instrumental response terminates an aversive
stimulus. (See also negative reinforcement.)

Question 13

free-operant procedure

Answer 13

A method of instrumental conditioning that permits repeated performance of the instrumental response without intervention by the experimenter. (Compare with discrete-trial procedure.)

Question 14

instinctive drift

Answer 14

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.

Question 15

instrumental behavior

Answer 15

an activity that occurs because it is effective in producing a particular reinforcer

Question 16

interim response

Answer 16

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.

Question 17

latency

Answer 17

the time between the start of a trial (or start of stimulus) and the instrumental response

Question 18

law of effect

Answer 18

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.

Question 19

learned-helplessness effect

Answer 19

Interference with the learning of new instrumental responses as a result of exposure to inescapable and unavoidable aversive stimulation.

Question 20

learned-helplessness hypothesis

Answer 20

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.

Question 21

magazine training

Answer 21

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.

Question 22

marking procedure

Answer 22

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.

Question 23

negative punishment

Answer 23

omission training, or differential reinforcement of other behavior

Question 24

negative reinforcement

Answer 24

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.

Question 25

omission training

Answer 25

An instrumental conditioning procedure in which the instrumental response prevents the delivery of a reinforcing stimulus. (See also differential reinforcement of other behavior.)

Question 26

operant response

Answer 26

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.

Question 27

positive reinforcement

Answer 27

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.

Question 28

positive punishment

Answer 28

punishment

Question 29

punishment

Answer 29

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.

Question 30

response-reinforcer contingency

Answer 30

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.

Question 31

response shaping

Answer 31

reinforcement of successive approximations to a desired instrumental response

Question 32

secondary reinforcer

Answer 32

same as conditioned reinforcer

Question 33

superstitious behavior

Answer 33

Behavior that increases in frequency because of accidental pairings of the delivery of a reinforcer with occurrences of the behavior.

Question 34

temporal contiguity

Answer 34

contiguity

Question 35

temporal relation

Answer 35

the time interval between an instrumental response and reinforcer

Question 36

terminal response

Answer 36

a response that is most likely at the end of the interval between successive reinforcements that are presented at fixed intervals