Chapter 9: Escape, Avoidance, Punishment

Question 1

Ex. Hear sounds, get shocked, run away

Ex. It’s raining, get wet, put up umbrella

Answer 1

Escape behavior

Question 2

Ex. Hear sound, run away, don’t get shocked

Ex. It’s raining, put up umbrella, don’t get wet

Answer 2

Avoidance behavior

Question 3

Two Process Theory of Avoidance

Tone: Shock -> Fear (NS: US -> UR)

- Tone -> Fear (CS -> CR)
- Rat learns to fear the tone

Answer 3

Classical Conditioning

Question 4

Two Process Theory of Avoidance

Tone: Climb over -> Less Fear (SD: R -> SR)
- Rat learns that jumping over the barrier reduces fear

Answer 4

Operant Conditioning

Question 5

Problems with two-process theory of avoidance

Answer 5

• Avoidance persists when US no longer follows CS
• Avoidance persists in absence of fear of CS
• Alternative Theories = One-Process Theory and species-specific defense reaction theory

Question 6

Two type of avoidance conditioning

Answer 6

• Phobias

- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Question 7

Problems/response of phobias

Answer 7

□ Problems with phobia as avoidance behavior
® Avoidance: animal avoids US
® Phobia: people avoid CS

□ Response
® Phobias are intense (one-shot) pairings of CS/US
® Animals will avoid CS too if they can

Question 8

Define Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and its treatment

Answer 8

□ Obsessions: Persistent impulses
® Eg. This room is dirty, must clean
® Eg. Don’t know if you lock your front door

□ Compulsions: Actions in response to obsessions
® Eg. Can’t do anything until you clean the room
® Eg. Can’t do anything until you come back to check door

□ Two-Stage Theory:
® Garbage (NS): ?(US)-> Anxiety (UR)
® Garbage (CS) -> Anxiety (CR)
® Garbage (SD): Shower ® -> Less Anxiety (SR)

□ Treatment: Exposure and response prevention (ERP)

Question 9

Phobias vs OCD

Answer 9

• Phobia: Not do something to reduce anxiety

- OCD: Do something to reduce anxiety

Question 10

Take away all good things

Answer 10

Time Out

Negative Punishment

Question 11

Take away one specific appetitive stimulus (one good prvilege)

Answer 11

Response Cost

Negative Punishment

Question 12

The activity itself causes the punishment

Answer 12

Intrinsic Punishment

Question 13

Something else (external) causes the punishment

Answer 13

Extrinsic Punishment

Question 14

The actual punishment, born not liking it

Ex. Pain, social exclusion

Answer 14

Primary Punishment

Question 15

Something that is associated with a specific punishment, learn not to like it

Ex. Speeding tickets (less money)

Answer 15

Secondary Punishment

Question 16

Something that is not associated with one specific bad thing, but a lot of bad things

Ex. Everyone who give you a glare results in something bad, time out, hate, bully, etc.

Answer 16

Generalized Punishment

Question 17

Pros of Punishment

Answer 17

• Really good at stopping behaviors
• Occasional positive social behaviors
• Occasional improvement in mood
• Increases attention to environment

Question 18

Cons of Punishment

Answer 18

□ Doesn’t strengthen appropriate behavior
□ Punisher becomes discriminative stimulus
□ Learn to avoid punisher
□ Strong emotional response
□ Aggressive response
□ Models punishment behavior
□ Strong reinforcement for punisher

Question 19

Effective use of Punishment

Answer 19

□ Do it immediately
□ Consistently follow any occurrence of unwanted behavior
□ Start intense enough to suppress behavior (but don’t be abusive!)
□ Use negative punishment4
□ Use an explanation (importante foo)
□ Accompany it with positive reinforcement for appropriate behavior