Chapter 9 Textbook Questions Flashcards
Behavior analysts reject everyday concepts of motivation, which hold that it is an inner essence that can explain behavior. Instead, they look for environmental and/or biological events that temporarily alter (increase or decrease) the efficacy of a reinforcer and, as a result, influence operant behavior. They call these environmental and/or biological events _______________ _______________.
physiotemporal operations (PO)
motivating operations (MO)
abolishing operations (AO)
establishing operations (EO)
motivating operations (MO)
Kyle shows Geoffrey the trailer for a new movie that he thinks Geoffrey will like. After watching it, Geoffrey is highly motivated to get to the movie theater and to buy a ticket to that movie. The trailer appears to have functioned as a(n) _____________ ______________ because it temporarily increased the value of a reinforcer (the movie ticket) and increased behaviors that produce that reinforcer (bicycling to the theater and purchasing a ticket).
abolishing operations (AO)
establishing operations (EO)
physiotemporal operations (PO)
elevating operations (EO)
establishing operations (EO)
Cammy was sick for a whole week and was unable to work out. After the week of illness passed, she said she was super-motivated to get back to the gym. Indeed, she was the first person at the gym the morning after she felt better. The illness appears to have functioned as a(n) __________________ operation because it temporarily increased the value of a workout (as a reinforcer) and it increased the probability of getting to the gym early.
physiotemporal operations (PO)
establishing operations (EO)
abolishing operations (AO)
elevating operations (EO)
establishing operations (EO)
When Regina was in college she would always mow her neighbor’s lawn when she mowed her own. Her neighbor, Gladys, was almost 90 years old and, in her appreciation, would give Regina a large block of American cheese, which she got from the government each month. On Sunday, Regina is clipping grocery store coupons from a flyer. She runs across a coupon for American cheese. She does not clip that coupon because the free cheese from Gladys has functioned as a(n) __________________ __________________; it temporarily decreases the value of a reinforcer (coupons for American cheese) and decreased behaviors that produce that reinforcer (clipping the coupon).
abolishing operations (AO)
elevating operations (EO)
physiotemporal operations (PO)
establishing operation (EO)
abolishing operations (AO)
Chance loved BBQ sandwiches and ate them once a week. Then he got a job at a BBQ restaurant and he saw all the coagulated fat in the meat when he pulled a tray of meat out of the refrigerator. He was disgusted by the sight and, for the next couple weeks, he rarely at BBQ sandwiches. Seeing the coagulated fat appears to have functioned as a(n) __________________ operation because it temporarily decreased the value of a BBQ sandwich (as a reinforcer) and it decreased the probability that he would buy one and eat one.
additive
abolishing
establishing
intensity
abolishing
Behavior analysts frequently will ask their clients, employees, etc. to complete a reinforcer survey. The purpose of the survey is…
to identify consequences that would probably function as a reinforcer, if made contingent upon a desired performance
to identify consequences that would definitely function as a reinforcer, if made contingent upon a desired performance
to identify reinforcers the individual would find coercive, if offered
to identify primary reinforcers unique to the tastes of the individual
to identify consequences that would probably function as a reinforcer, if made contingent upon a desired performance
Reinforcer surveys cannot be completed by nonverbal humans or nonhuman animals. When working with these populations, behavior analysts will instead identify potential reinforcer by using a(n) __________________________.
establishing survey
stimulus preference assessment
nonverbal coordinated assessment
sing-language survey
stimulus preference assessment
The outcome of a stimulus preference assessment is a __________________________, which is a list of stimuli (items/activities) rank ordered from most to least preferred.
reinforcer ranking
preference hierarchy
liking scale
stimulus continuum
preference hierarchy
A mother is running behind and needs her children to help her straighten up the living room. Company will be here soon but her children are notorious for not being very helpful. Mom calls the children together and explains that if they help straighten up the living room (a very low probability behavior), she will let them play their favorite video games for an extra hour (a high-probability behavior). Mom has intuitively used which behavioral principle to enlist the aid of her children?
the Premack principle
a negative reinforcement contingency
an abolishing operation
an establishing operation
the Premack principle
One measure of reinforcer efficacy is how often it is chosen over other reinforcers. This is the measure used in the stimulus preference assessment. A shortcoming of preference (choice) as a measure of reinforcer efficacy is…
it does not tell us how much more reinforcing one stimulus is over another (5% more reinforcing? 100% more? We just don’t know)
it is difficult to quantify, leaving the behavior analyst with qualitative (non-numeric) data and an inability to predict the extent of reinforcer efficacy
it is highly unstable
it is mentalistic concept; a reification
it does not tell us how much more reinforcing one stimulus is over another (5% more reinforcing? 100% more? We just don’t know)
One measure of reinforcer efficacy is choice – if salted caramels are chosen more often than Laffy Taffy, then, for this individual, salted caramels are the more effective of the two reinforcers. But choice does not tell us how much more reinforcing salted caramels are than Laffy Taffy, for this individual. For this we need to measure the maximum amount of behavior the reinforcer will maintain, a measure known as the ____________.
reinforcer output
Pmax
breakpoint
high-point
breakpoint
Vivitrol is a once-a-month shot given to opiate-addicted individuals after they have been through a detoxification program. Vivitrol is a molecule that binds to dopamine receptors, which prevents heroin and other opiates from having most (but not all) of their positive-reinforcing effects. The makers of Vivitrol decreased the reinforcing efficacy of heroin by manipulating what dimension of effective reinforcement?
contingency
reinforcer immediacy
noncontingency
reinforcer size
reinforcer size
When an operant response becomes habitual, it is evoked by _____________________ even when ___________________.
our motivational state; no reinforcers are available
an antecedent stimulus; an abolishing operation (AO) has been imposed
a desire; others are present
habit; we aren’t thinking
an antecedent stimulus; an abolishing operation (AO) has been imposed
Reinforcers will not increase behavior above a baseline level if they are given away for free; indeed, they are likely to decrease the behavior. This principle of behavior refers to which of the four dimensions of reinforcer efficacy?
quality
contingency
immediacy
expediency
contingency
