Final Exam Flashcards
Respondent Conditioning
- Automatic responses to prior stimuli
- Referred to as reflexive or involuntary
- Usually involves smooth muscles and glands that control our gastrointestinal tract and blood vessels
- Is said to be elicited by prior stimuli
Operant Conditioning
- Controlled by consequences
- Referred to as voluntary behavior
- Usually involves skeletal muscles
- Is said to be emitted by an individual
Reinforcement
A consequence after a behavior that makes it more likely it will happen again
Punishment
A consequence after a behavior that makes it less likely to happen again
Primary Reinforcer
Innate reinforcing qualities, not learned
• ex: food, touch, and shelter
Secondary Reinforcer
Associated with a primary reinforcer
• ex: give dog a treat then say good boy
Back-up Reinforcer
Reward in exchange for earned tokens
• In a token economy
Generalized Reinforcer
A stimulus that exerts a reinforcing effect because it has been associated with reinforcing stimuli
• Stickers reinforce behavior when they add up to a prize
What are the 5 categories of reinforcers
CAMPS
• Consumables
• Activities
• Manipulatives
• Possessions
• Social Reinforcers
Consumables
Items that one can eat or drink
• Candy, cookies, fruit, and beverages
Activities
Opportunities to watch TV, look at a picture book, or stare out of a window
Manipulatives
Play with a favorite toy, build with LEGOs, color or paint, ride a bicycle, or go on the internet
Possessions
Sit in one’s favorite chair, wear a favorite shirt or dress, have a private room or enjoy some other item that one can possess (at least temporarily)
Social Reinforcers
Affectionate pats and hugs, praise, nods, smiles, and even a simple glance or other indication of social attention
Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA)
Identification of relationships applicable to target behaviors
• Identifies situations in which behavior is present
• Identified consequences that are maintaining the problem behavior
• Allows you to plan an intervention
• Make a plan -> Consider positive behavior and interventions
Making a behavior intervention plan (FBA)
• Define target behavior and function of behavior
• Includes baseline measure of issue behavior, frequency, duration, settings, etc.
• Define objective and goals, who will carry out the plan
• Intervention -> Alter antecedent events, teach adaptive behaviors, provide consequences and reinforcements
Functional Analysis (FA)
Experimenting with what you think is leading to the behavior
• Manipulate the environment ahead of time
Describe indirect methods of behavior assessment
• Interviews = Interviewing people that are important to the situation
• Questionnaires = Broad overview: Not specific to what is occurring in the situation
• Role-playing
• Data from referring source
• Client self-monitoring
Describe direct methods of behavioral assessment
• Narrative Recording
• Event Recording
• Interval Recording
• Time Sampling
Narrative Recording
• Comprehensive description of the child’s natural behavior
• Going in and observing + writing down, what happens
• Anecdotal recording
- Write down things that seem relevant and of interest
- Not really sure what is controlling the behavior at this point
• Running recording
- Writing down everything that happens
- Cannot tend to all behaviors all the time
Event Recording
• Record each time the behavior occurs
• Good for behaviors that have clear-cut beginnings and endings
• Not good for behaviors that have high frequencies
- Requires you to pay attention to doing the behavior
• Figure out when you are going to observe and for how long you are going to observe
• Have control of decision making
Interval Recording
• Look for behavior within specified intervals of time
• Number of times you were going to observe the child
• Looking for a frequency count
• Record specific aspects of behavior within specified intervals of time
• Record presence or absence of behavior
• Divide observation period into specific intervals
• Partial Interval: If behavior occurs once at all, during the interval, yes or no
• Whole Interval: If behavior was present at the start and end of interval, if it lasts the entire time
• Momentary Time Interval: If the behavior is at the end of interval
• Variable Inter-Occasion Interval: Pre-selected random time intervals
Time Sampling
• A type of interval recording
• Takes random times throughout the day to see if there is a comparison
• This is time efficient
• You can go in the morning, late morning, and early afternoon and compare the frequency of behavior during the different times
• Compare frequency of behavior over intervals of different times
Direct Method of Behavioral Assessment
Real-time information about the behavior, objective, but assessor may influence behavior
Advantages of Direct Methods of Behavioral Assessment
More objective
Disadvantages of Direct Methods of Behavioral Assessment
• Time consuming
• Requires appropriate training
• Only for behaviors you can directly observe (overt behaviors)
Indirect Methods of Behavioral Assessment
Can get information from multiple sources (parent, teacher, etc.), may be biased due to those filling them out having their own opinions, and might be inaccurate since people could not understand what they are being asked
Advantages of Indirect Methods of Behavioral Assessment
• Convenient
• Covert behaviors (may be something that you cannot observe or can be so subtle that you cannot pick up on)
Disadvantages of Indirect Methods of Behavioral Assessment
• Not being able to observe the behavior yourself
• Potentially inaccurate
• Can be biased information
Define the six aspects of behavior that can be recorded
• Topography
• Frequency (or rate of behavior)
• Duration
• Intensity (also known as magnitude or force of a response)
• Stimulus Control
• Latency (often called reaction time)
Topography
Specific moments involved in making the response
Frequency
Number of instances of a behavior that occur in a given period of time
• Or RATE OF BEHAVIOR
Duration
Length of time from the beginning to the end of an episode of behavior
Intensity
• How strong the behavior is
• Assessments of intensity, often utilize instrumentation
• Also known as MAGNITUDE or FORCE OF A RESPONSE
Stimulus Control
• Degree of correlation between the occurrence of a given event and a response quickly following that event
Latency
Time between the occurrence of a particular event or cue and the start of that behavior
• Often called REACTION TIME
What are the sources of unreliability in observation systems?
• Observer Bias
• Observer Drift
• Difficulties in Coding Behavior
• Child Reactivity
Observer Bias
• Observer may be biased in a way that influenced the way they record behavior
• Leniency effect
- Not being strict
- Observer may be more tolerant of behaviors than other people are
- May already have some biases towards the individual
• Primacy effect
- Influenced by your first impressions (either positive or negative)
Observer Drift
• Lose your attention or motivation
• Observer can get tired
Difficulties in Coding Behavior
• If you miss or forget to record something
• Misunderstanding of how to record something
Child Reactivity
Child knows they are being observed and they can change their behavior
Procedures to Reduce Unreliability:
• Clear and precise definitions
• Systematic and precise rules for observation
• Time intervals that are not excessively long
• Training observers
• Periodic checks of observers
Procedures to Reduce Child Reactivity:
• Be as neutral as possible
• Position self outside of traffic flow
• Shift attention to other children
• Enter at natural breaks
Premack Principle
High probability behavior contingent upon low probability behavior
Deprivation
Person has not experienced the reinforcer
• Only give candy when reinforcing
• Reccomended to do this before starting intervention
Satiation
Reinforcer is no longer reinforcing and it has lost its effect
• Reinforcement menus
- Selection of things they can get and are of interest
Different Schedules of Reinforcement
• Fixed Ratio (FR)
• Variable Ratio (VR)
• Fixed Interval (FI)
• Variable Interval (VI)
Fixed Ratio (FR)
Certain number of behaviors equals reward
• Number of responses
• Set to the same number every time
• Post-reinforcement pause
- After you get the reinforcement
- Need time to engage in the reinforcer
• Ratio Strain
- Sometimes you might go too far
- Less likely to happen in variable ratio
Variable Ratio (VR)
Random numbers of behaviors equals reward (every third time, etc.)
• Little post-reinforcement pause
• Ratio strain less likely to happen
• High resistance to extinction
- Do not know when reinforcement is coming
Fixed Interval (FI)
Reward given after certain time interval
• Responding increase through interval
• Post-reinforcement pause
• Could be five minutes consistently or can change
Variable Interval (VI)
Reward given after random period of time when behavior is exhibited
• Moderate steady rate
• Little or no post-reinforcement pause
Advantages/Disadvantages of Fixed Ratio
Post-reinforcement pause and ratio strain
Advantages/Disadvantages of Variable Ratio
• Little post-reinforcement pause or ratio strain
• High resistance to extinction
Advantages/Disadvantages of Fixed Interval
• Responding increases through interval
• Post-reinforcement pause
Advantages/Disadvantages of Variable Interval
Moderate steady rate, little post-reinforcement pause
Duration Schedule (Fixed or Variable)
Based on length of time behavior is displayed
• Ex: Sitting in a chair for 10 minutes
Fixed-Duration (FD)
• Engage in behavior for specified length of time
• Post-reinforcement pause
Variable-Duration (VD)
• Variable length of time required
• Little or no post-reinforcement pause
Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of different schedules of reinforcement: Concurrent Schedule
• Different behaviors reinforced on different schedules
• Matching law
- Reinforcement of different behaviors
- Weighing different options we have available to us
• Response chosen depends on:
- Types of schedules operation
- Immediacy
> Will you get it right away or will you have to wait for it
> Typically, we like immediate satisfaction
- Magnitude
> How important is that reinforcer for you
- Effort required
> Effort that is required to engage in the behavior
> We rather do easy things for immediate satisfaction
> Willing to put in work for a bigger goal
Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of different schedules of reinforcement: Intermittent Schedule
Some instances of behavior are reinforced but not all
• Advantages:
> Reinforcer is effective longer
> Longer to extinguish behavior
> Promotes more consistent performance
> Promotes transfer to natural environment
• Disadvantages:
> Inconsistent use of extinction
> People do not know when the reinforcement is coming
Ratio Strain
When level of expected behavior goes up too much (too quickly)
• Ex: you go from 2 correct math problems to 8
• Sometimes you might go too far
• Less likely to happen in variable-ratio
Post-Reinforcement Pause
A pause in response after the delivery of a reinforcer
• Mostly in fixed schedules
• After you get the reinforcer you need time to engage with it
Differential Ratio of Low Rates (DRL)
Lower the rate of behavior by reinforcing fewer instances of behavior, or longer amounts of time between instances
• Behavior is acceptable but not at its current rate
• E.g., going from drinking 8 cups of coffee a day to 3
• Okay to do things sometimes but not at the level they are being done at now
• Can be used for nondangerous unwanted behaviors
> Nailbiting
Differential Reinforcement of Zero Responding (DRO)
Reinforcement contingent on the absence of a problem
• Used for dangerous unwanted behaviors
> Fighting, cursing
Differential Reinforcement of Incompatible Responding (DRI)
Reinforce a more appropriate behavior for the situation
• Sleeping in class, not following directions
Time-Out (including appropriate use of TO)
Time away from positive reinforcement (can be exclusionary or not)
• TO from positive reinforcement
> Exclusionary and non-exclusionary
• Applied calmly and objectively
• 1 min per child’s age is recommended
• Pre-TO warning
• Couple with positive reinforcement for alternative behavior
• Has to be consistent
Response Cost
Conditioned reinforcers (candy, tokens) are withdrawn to suppress a response
Discuss factors that influence the effectiveness of punishment
• Conditions of a desirable alternative behavior
• Cause for the undesirable behavior
• The punishing stimulus
• Minimize causes for undesirable behavior (environment)
• Selection and delivery of punisher (time out vs. response cost)
• Rules for punishment
Factors influencing the effectiveness of punishment: Cause for the undesirable behavior
• Identify and eliminate the current discriminative stimulus for the undesirable behavior
• Identify and eliminate existing reinforcers that are maintaining the undesirable behavior
Factors influencing the effectiveness of punishment: The punishing stimulus
• Important that the punishment is effective
• The more intense or strong the punishing stimulus, the more effective it will be in decreasing the undesirable behavior
• The intensity of the punisher that is needed to be effective depends on the success in minimizing the causes of the undesirable behavior while maximizing the conditions for a desirable alternative behavior
Factors influencing the effectiveness of punishment: Selection & Delivery of Punisher (TO vs. Response Cost)
• The punisher should be presented immediately following the undesirable behavior
• The punisher should be presented following every instance of the undesirable behavior
• The delivery of the punisher should not be paired with positive reinforcement
• The person administering the punisher should remain calm when doing so
Factors influencing the effectiveness of punishment: Rules for Punishment
• Adding rules to a punishment procedure often helps to decrease the undesirable behavior and increase the desirable alternative behavior more quickly
Discuss the factors that influence the effectiveness of extinction
• Control reinforcers
• Positive reinforcement for alternative behavior
• Setting considerations
• Rules
• Schedule of reinforcement
Reasons why extinction might not work
• Wrong reinforcer is withheld
• Presence of intermittent reinforcement
• Alternative behavior is not strengthened
Extinction Burst
Unwanted behavior reappears or increases before going back down
Spontaneous Recovery
Reemergence of a previously extinguished conditioned response
• May happen again after a period of behavior not occurring
Extinction
If a previously reinforced behavior is not followed by a reinforcer, the behavior is likely to decrease
•Iif something is on a continuous schedule of reinforcement, it is easier to extinguish it because you learn faster that the reinforcement is not coming
Shaping
Successive reinforcement of clothes, approximations and extinguishing of preceding approximations of the behavior
• Gradual way of changing a behavior