Extinction and Stimulus Control

Question 1

Define anticipatory contrast.

Answer 1

The process where the rate of response varies inversely with an upcoming change in the rate of response.

Question 2

Define behavioural contrast.

Answer 2

A change in the rate of reinforcement on one component of a multiple schedule produces an opposite change in the rate of response on another component.

Question 3

What is differential reinforcement of other behaviour (DRO)?

Answer 3

Reinforcement of any behaviour other than a target behaviour that is being extinguished.

Question 4

What is discrimination training?

Answer 4

The differential reinforcement of responding in the presence of one stimulus and not another.

Question 5

What is the discriminative stimulus for extinction (SΔ)?

Answer 5

A stimulus that signals the absence of reinforcement.

Question 6

What is errorless discrimination training?

Answer 6

A discrimination training procedure that minimises the number of errors and reduces many of the adverse effects associated with discrimination training.

Question 7

Define extinction.

Answer 7

The nonreinforcement of a previously reinforced response, the result of which is a decrease in strength for that response.

Question 8

What is extinction burst?

Answer 8

A temporary increase in the frequency and intensity of responding when extinction is first implemented.

Question 9

Define fading.

Answer 9

The process of gradually altering the intensity of a stimulus.

Question 10

Explain the generalisation gradient.

Answer 10

A graphic description of the strength of responding in the presence of stimuli that are similar to the discriminative stimulus and vary along a continuum.

Question 11

What is a multiple schedule?

Answer 11

A complex schedule consisting of two or more independent schedules presented in sequence,each resulting in reinforcement and each having a distinctive discriminative stimulus.

Question 12

What is the negative contrast effect?

Answer 12

The process where an increase in the rate of reinforcement on one component of a multiple schedule produces a decrease in the rate of response on the other component.

Question 13

What is the partial reinforcement effect?

Answer 13

Behaviour that has been maintained on an intermittent schedule of reinforcement is extinguished more slowly than behaviour on a continuous schedule.

Question 14

What is the peak shift effect?

Answer 14

Following discrimination training, the peak of a generalisation gradient will shift from the discriminative stimulus to a stimulus that is further removed from the discriminative stimulus for extinction.

Question 15

What is the positive contrast effect?

Answer 15

The process where a decrease in rate of reinforcement on one component of a multiple schedule produces an increase in the rate of response on the other component.

Question 16

Define resistance to extinction.

Answer 16

The extent to which responding persists after an extinction procedure has been implemented.

Question 17

Define resurgence.

Answer 17

The reappearance during extinction of other behaviours that had once been effective in obtaining reinforcement.

Question 18

What is spontaneous recovery?

Answer 18

The reappearance of an extinguished response following a rest period after extinction.

Question 19

What is stimulus control?

Answer 19

The presence of a discriminative stimulus affects the probability of behaviour

Question 20

What is stimulus discrimination?

Answer 20

The tendency for an operant response to be emitted more in the presence of one stimulus than another.

Question 21

What is stimulus generalisation?

Answer 21

The tendency for an operant response to be emitted in the presence of a stimulus that is similar to a discriminative stimulus.

Question 22

What is the procedure of extinction?

Answer 22

The nonreinforcement of a previously reinforced response.

Question 23

What is the process of extinction?

Answer 23

The resultant decrease in response strength.

Question 24

Name the six side effects of extinction.

Answer 24

Extinction burst, increase in variability, emotional behaviour, aggression, resurgence, and depression.

Question 25

Which psychoanalytic concept is resurgence similar to?

Answer 25

Regression.

Question 26

Give some factors that contribute to resistance to extinction. (6)

Answer 26

Schedule of reinforcement, history of reinforcement, magnitude of the reinforcer, degree of deprivation, previous experience with extinction, and distinctive signal for extinction.

Question 27

Are DRO procedures more or less effective than extinction, and why?

Answer 27

More effective, because the target behaviour is weakened both by the lack of reinforcement and the reinforcement of alternative behaviours.

Question 28

What type of procedure is functional communication training?

Answer 28

Differential reinforcement.

Question 29

Give another name for functional communication training.

Answer 29

Differential reinforcement of functional communication.

Question 30

What occurs in functional communication training?

Answer 30

The behaviour of clearly and appropriately communicating you desires is differentially reinforced.

Question 31

More generalisation means less ___, and less generalisation means more ___.

Answer 31

Discrimination.

Question 32

A steep gradient indicates:

Answer 32

Weak generalisation and strong discrimination

Question 33

A flat gradient indicates:

Answer 33

Strong generalisation and weak discrimination.

Question 34

Give a drawback of errorless discrimination training.

Answer 34

Discriminations are harder to modify at a later time.

Question 35

Resistance to extinction is particularly strong when behaviour has been maintained on a:

Answer 35

Variable ratio schedule.

Question 36

Explain history of reinforcement.

Answer 36

The more reinforcers an individual has received for a behaviour, the more resistant they are to extinction.

Question 37

What limit for increased resistance to extinction did Furomoto find?

Answer 37

1000 reinforcers.

Question 38

Explain degree of deprivation.

Answer 38

The degree to which an organism is deprived of a reinforcer affects resistance to extinction.

Question 39

What is the difference between a chain and a multiple schedule?

Answer 39

In a multiple schedule, completion of each component gives food.

Question 40

What are stimulus control procedures the treatment of choice for?

Answer 40

Sleep-onset insomnia.