exam2

Question 1

Primary vs. Secondary Reinforcement

Answer 1

Innately reinforcing, Power is biologically adaptive, Generally stronger, Likely to satiate, May be delay in delivery, May be disruptive,Works best when organism is deprived, E.g., food, water, sex, affiliation
Conditioned, Power depends on other reinforcers, Generally weaker, Unlikely to satiate, Delivery more immediate, May be less disruptive, Generalized reinforcers work in many situations, E.g., money, praise, cognition

Talked about how Sniffy would get full and stop pressing lever.
If you gave me a dollar for every time I press the lever
Seaworld example where they get a delay in when they get their fish, but they blow a secondary reinfrocer (whistle) immediate

Question 2

Crespi (contrast) Effect

Answer 2

Negative Effect- If train with one size reinforcement then decrease it- behavior decreases to less than if started at smaller size
Positive Effect- If train with one size reinforcment then increase it- behavior increases to greater than if started at a larger size

Question 3

Token Economy

Answer 3

use of small reinforcers that are saved up and cashed for a primary (or larger) reinforcer

Question 4

Reward Pathway

Answer 4

dopaminergic pathway from middle brain to frontal cortex. Dopamine (NT) is released in reponse to many pleasureable experiences (e.g, food, sex, alcohol, gambling) Can be activated via electrical stimulation, Dopamine converts into epinepherine (adrenaline)

Question 5

Latent learning

Answer 5

Learning that appears to take place in the absence of reinforcement

Question 6

Extinction of Reinforced Behaviors (including extinction burst, spontaneous recovery, resurgence) the reduction in behavior due to withholding reinforcement

Answer 6

Effects of extinction include:
Extinction burst- temporary, abrupt increase in behavior following early extinction, trial, usually followed by decrese in behavior
Greater variability in behavioe (try numerous behaviors in attempt to find what leads to reinforcer)
Aggressive behavior
-Spontaneous Recovery- return to the behavior after time has passed-
-Resurgence- return of other, previously reinforced, behavior-
-Behavior is Extinguished- returned to baseline or disappeared altogether-

Question 7

Hull’s Drive Reduction Theory

Answer 7

Reinforcer works to reduce innate drives. Food and water reduce hunger and thirst, but how do secondary reinforcers reduce a drive? Problem with theory is that many secondary reinforcers due not reduce drives and did not gain their reinforcing properties through association with primary reinforcers that do reduce drives

Question 8

Premack Principle (relative value theory)

Answer 8

Relative Value Theory- frequently occurring behaviors (e.g., eating) can be used to reinforce less frequently occurring behaviors (e.g., lever pressing)

Question 9

Response Deprivation Theory (equilibrium theory)

Answer 9

behavior becomes reinforcing when the organism is deprived of engaging in it to the level below the baseline
When studying prevents you from cleaning, cleaning now becomes reinforcing, Extention of Premacks Principle (supposed to be a bullet)
Preffered level of engaging in particular behavior, even if you like exercising you don’t wanna do it all the time. Say you usually do 2 hrs. and you can only do 30 min today. It’s below the base level that we like

Question 10

Mowrer’s Two-Process Theory

Answer 10

both classical and operant conditioning at play
1. Removal of stimulus (e.g., light) that reliably predicts U aversive S (e.g., shock) becomes a CS (fear of dark)
2. Behavior (jumping) that escapes the CS (darkened room) before receiving shock is reinforced by the reduction in fear
3. Avoidance is therefore merely escape from the CS
Problems with 2 process theory:
Fear of the CS lessens as organism learns to avoid it, so if there is no longer a feared stimulus, what’s reinforcing avoidance?
If behavior is no longer reinforced (no more fear to alleviate), why doesn’t the behavior extinguish completely?
Negative reinforcement (take something away positive to give something)
It feels good not to be afraid anymore

Question 11

One-Process Theory

Answer 11

escape and avoidance are reinforced by a reduction in the aversive stimulus (operant learning). As long as organism continues to reduce aversive stimulus, will cont. to engage in behavior (even if aversive stimulus no longer becomes present). To extinguish behavior must stop it from occurring (demonstrating the aversive stimulus will not arrive) Bullying on the way home, and takes new route. Now 50 and still avoids- show him that there is no aversive stimulus by taking him there and theres also some rewards to taking the route

Question 12

Intensity

Answer 12

Intense stimuli are more effective at reducing behavior than weak stimuli i.e., ineffectiveness of the “slap on the wrist”, e.g., shock collars for eliminating barking behavior

• Progressive increase of intensity – Punishment should be intense from the start, not gradually increased
• Progressing the intensity of the punishment teaches subject to tolerate stimulus
• E.g., lack of effectively changing DUI behavior
• Warning- > fine> suspension> revocation> prison
• Problem: How strong do you start?
• Legal/ethical issues
• Progressive increase of intensity – Research (Miller, 1960) showed that stimulus of given intensity worked better when given first time, whereas same intensity given after previously weaker punishment had little effect

Question 13

Contiguity

Answer 13

the longer the delay between behavior and punisher, the less effective the punishment is at reducing the behavior i.e., the more immediate the consequences, the more effective. Behavior that is the most close in time to the punisher is the one most likely to become associated, ex Sticking a dogs nose in it

Question 14

Contingency

Answer 14

the more reliable the connection between behavior and punisher, the quicker behavior changes i.e., the punishment must be consistently associated with the behavior in order to be effective

Question 15

Alternative Sources of Reinforcement

Answer 15

Organism is more likely to tolerate punishment if behavior is only way to receive needed reinforcer. E.g., starved for food, seeking attention. Must provide opportunity to gain reinforcers (by doing approved behavior). Not okay to “act up” for attention, do receive attention for obeying rules, ex Going to chick flick for guys, because there’s some reinforcement in the end

Question 16

Immunization training

Answer 16

Teaching how to escape from aversive conditions leads to greater resilience or perseverance when faced with inescapable situation, in military training, puts you in near death situation, so when they’re with the enemy they will know what’s happening. From this we get learned Industriousness- reinforced persistence
A) Applications of Operant Conditioning (see slides for more info)
i. Self-Control Examples- Physical restraint, distancing, distraction, monitoring behavior (make study examples for each)
ii. Self-awareness- observing one’s own behavior Becoming aware of one’s own thoughts, moods, behavior (mindfulness)
iii. Helplessness- (Seligman)- individual or animal that is prevented from escaping behavior, learns to give up even when escape becomes possible. Similar behavior seen in depressed humans (abusive partner)

iv. Insightful problem solving

Question 17

Law of Effect

Answer 17

*thorndike suggested that responses closely followed by satisfaction will become firmly attached to the situation and therefore more likely to reoccur when the situation is repeated. Conversely, if the situation is followed by discomfort, the connections to the situation will become weaker and the behavior of response is less likely to occur when the situation is repeated

Question 18

Operant Chamber

Answer 18

An operant conditioning chamber (also known as the Skinner box) is a laboratory apparatus used in the experimental analysis of behavior to study animal behavior.

Question 19

Escape-Avoidance Learning

Answer 19

*Avoidance learning is the process by which an individual learns a behavior or response to avoid a stressful or unpleasant situation. The behavior is to avoid, or to remove oneself from, the situation. Researchers have found avoidance behavior challenging to explain, since the reinforcement for the behavior is to not experience the negative reinforcer, or punishment. In other words, the reinforcement is the absence of punishment. To explain this, psychologists have proposed two stages of learning: in stage one, the learner experiences classical conditioning; a warning, or stimulus, paired with a punishment. The learner develops a fear response when he experiences the stimulus. In stage two, the learner experiences operant conditioning; whereby he realizes that an action response to the stimulus eliminates the stressful outcome.

Question 20

Learned Helplessness

Answer 20

*Learned helplessness occurs when an animal is repeatedly subjected to an aversive stimulus that it cannot escape. Eventually, the animal will stop trying to avoid the stimulus and behave as if it is utterly helpless to change the situation. Even when opportunities to escape are presented, this learned helplessness will prevent any action.

Question 21

Matching Law

Answer 21

quantitative relationship that holds between the relative rates of response and the relative rates of reinforcement in concurrent schedules of reinforcement.

Question 22

Disruption Theory

Answer 22

Rusty and the poison frog didn’t work
Basiclally disruption theory has to do with just no response I think…
Disruption Theory (Skinner & others) – Punishment works by temporarily suppressing all behaviors, not just the one of interest 
Theory widely discredited
Effects may not be temporary
Theory would suggest contingency not important
Passive Avoidance type theory- passive behavior of failing to make a response is what is actually learned through punishment 	
E.g., if professor makes fun of your idea in class, you are less likely to participate in any way in the future

Question 23

Two Process Theory

Answer 23

Kid and the fork example
Kid stuck fork in electrical outlet, and then feared the fork
So whenever, kid would do bad his dad would show the fork
Stimulus becomes associated with fear (classical conditioning) and the avoidance of the stimulus is reinforced by the reduction of fear (operant conditioning)
Theory suggests that the further from the stimulus, the less fear elicited; therefore reduction in behavior should be proportional to proximity to stimulus
Not empiraclly supported

Question 24

One Process Theory

Answer 24

or the relativity theory of reinforcement, states that more frequent behaviors will reinforce less frequent behaviors.
Kid doesn’t like broccolli, eat broccolli, pay video games
First broc isn’t frequent, video games is—–this is about reinforcement this is just a reminder
Applying it for punishment is the opposite
If you want to play video games, you have to eat broccolli
Stay out late vs study- how would you do this? Schedule tutor In the morning
One Process Theory (Thorndike & others) – Operant Condition is responsible for weakening behavior in the same way it is for strengthening it
Law of Effect
Premack Principle applied to punishment- low probability behavior can be used to suppress high probability behavior
No smoking unless you run 3 miles

Question 25

Criticisms of Punishment

Answer 25

Talked about boxing and how they would grab the chair when the ref wasn’t looking idk how this applies
The kids and no smoking, but didn’t say anything about weed
Punishing the dog for pooping, through Classical Conditioning the dog fears you
What is the natural reaction to being spanked? Anger, kid might use anger against sister or toys, because he cant do it to dad
If kid is acting up in class, and he’s doing it to get attention, then ignore him and then they will learn that it’s ineffective and it will go away, because it’s not leading to any reinforcement, then reinforcement something you would like the child to do instead
Note: Negative punishment might be better than positive because you don’t get the aggressive by-product, but the rest of the points still stand.
Punishment only suppresses behavior
Teaches what not to do, not what you should do
It becomes associated with the dilverer
Emotional by- products (e.g, displaced aggression)
Unnecessary if appropriate reinforcement contingencies are set up and extinction is used

Note: Negative punishment (time-out) eliminates the modeling of aggressive behavior, but the other objections still stand