Chapter 9

Question 1

Mentalistic explanations of behavior

Answer 1

Put the cause of behavior in the individual’s vaguely defined “mind”

Question 2

Motivating operation (MO)

Answer 2

An environmental and/or biological event that (1) temporarily alters the value of a specific reinforcer, and (2) increases/decreases the probability of behaviors yielding that reinforcer

Question 3

Establishing operation (EO)

Answer 3

An environmental and/or biological event that (1) temporarily increases the value of a specific reinforcer, and (2) increases the probability of behaviors yielding that reinforcer

Question 4

Abolishing operation (AO)

Answer 4

An environmental and/or biological event that (1) temporarily decreases the value of a specific reinforced and (2) decreases the probability of behaviors yielding that reinforcer

Question 5

Behavior analysts reject ______________ explanations of behavior. Such “explanations” put the cause of behavior in the individual’s vaguely defined “mind.”

Answer 5

Mentalistic

Question 6

If the only evidence for the cause (motivation) is the effect (performance), then the explanation is ______________.

Answer 6

Circular

Question 7

There are two kinds of ______________ operations. These environmental and/or biological events temporarily alter the efficacy of a reinforcer, and change the probability of behaviors that produce that reinforcer.

Answer 7

Motivating

Question 8

The first kind of MO is the ______________ operation. When these environmental and/or biological events occur, they temporarily increase the efficacy of a specific reinforcer, and they increase the probability of behaviors that produce that reinforcer.

Answer 8

Establishing

Question 9

The second kind of MO is the ______________ operation. When these environmental and/or biological events occur, they temporarily decrease the efficacy of a specific reinforcer, and they decrease the probability of behaviors that produce that reinforcer.

Answer 9

Abolishing

Question 10

Having a garden full of corn is an ______________ (establishing or abolishing) operation because it temporarily decreases the reinforcing value of a store-bought ear of corn, and it decreases the probability of purchasing one at the grocery store.

Answer 10

Abolishing

Question 11

Spilling sriracha sauce on your shirt is an ______________ (establishing or abolishing) operation because it temporarily increases the reinforcing value of a clean shirt, and it increases the probability of going home to get one.

Answer 11

Establishing

Question 12

Having an itchy back is an ______________ (establishing or abolishing) operation because it temporarily increases the reinforcing value of the stimulation produced by a good scratching, and it increases the probability that you will ask your partner to scratch your back.

Answer 12

Establishing

Question 13

Reinforcer survey

Answer 13

A structured interview or written survey that asks an individual to identify highly preferred activities

Question 14

Stimulus preference assessment

Answer 14

A rank-ordered list of preferred stimuli is obtained by observing choices between those stimuli

Question 15

Preference hierarchy

Answer 15

A list of stimuli rank-ordered from most to least preferred

Question 16

A _______________ ______________ is a structured interview or written survey that asks the individual to identify highly preferred activities.

Answer 16

Reinforcer survey

Question 17

The reason for asking someone to complete a reinforcer survey is to identify something that might function as a ________________, if provided contingent upon a desired behavior.

Answer 17

Reinforcer

Question 18

For individuals with limited or no language ability, or for nonhuman animals, a useful way of identifying potential reinforcers is the stimulus ____________ ______________.

Answer 18

Preference assessment

Question 19

The final product of a stimulus preference assessment is a list of stimuli rank ordered from most to least preferred. This list is known as a preference ______________. Stimuli at the top of this list are most likely to function as reinforcers.

Answer 19

Hierarchy

Question 20

The Premack principle states that access to a _____-probability behavior can function as a reinforcer if made contingent upon emitting a _____-probability behavior.

Answer 20

High
Low

Question 21

A benefit of the Premack principle is that it allows us to predict what will function as a reinforcer _____________ we try it out. This allows us to avoid the circularity problem.

Answer 21

Before

Question 22

Breakpoint

Answer 22

The maximum amount of behavior the reinforcer will maintain

Question 23

Quality

Answer 23

The subjective value of a reinforcer that will vary from one subject to the next

Question 24

Habit

Answer 24

Operant behavior that (1) is evoked by antecedent stimuli and (2) persists despite the imposition of an AO

Question 25

Habits are formed when…

Answer 25

An operant response has been repeatedly reinforced, hundreds, if not thousands of times in the presence of the same antecedent stimulus.

Question 26

When measuring reinforcer efficacy, an individual’s ______________ can tell us which of the available stimuli is most likely to be the most effective reinforcer.

Answer 26

Choice or preference

Question 27

A second measure of reinforcer efficacy is __________________. This measure quantifies how much behavior can be maintained by a specific reinforcer.

Answer 27

Breakpoint

Question 28

List the four dimensions of reinforcer efficacy.

Answer 28

Contingency, size, quality, immediacy

Question 29

The second graders will complete more math problems when working for a gold star than a silver star. Which of the four dimensions of reinforcer efficacy is most relevant in this example?

Answer 29

Quality

Question 30

The second graders were less enthusiastic about working for gold stars after the gym teacher gave the children a sheet of gold stars for free. Which of the four dimensions of reinforcer efficacy is most relevant in this example?

Answer 30

Contingency

Question 31

Research has shown that infants will babble more when a social reinforcer is provided contingent on this vocal response (Ramey & Ourth, 1971). However, if this reinforcer is delayed by as little as 3 seconds, it will lose its ability to reinforce this response (presumably because the delay makes it difficult for the baby to learn the IF babble → THEN social-reinforcer contingency). Which of the four dimensions of reinforcer efficacy is most relevant in this example?

Answer 31

Immediacy

Question 32

When a behavior becomes habitual, an AO no longer has its twin effects. The AO no longer ______________ the efficacy of a specific reinforcer and it no longer decreases the _____________ that yields that reinforcer.

Answer 32

Decreases Behavior

Question 33

When a behavior becomes habitual, it is evoked by _____________ stimuli, even when the individual is not motivated to acquire the consequence.

Answer 33

Antecedent

Question 34

Habits are formed when an operant behavior is ________________ hundreds, if not thousands, of times in the presence of an antecedent stimulus.

Answer 34

Reinforced