Instrumental Conditioning

Question 1

instrumental Conditioning

Answer 1

the learning of a contingency between a behaviour and its consequences

Question 2

Thorndike

Answer 2

cats in a puzzle box. He focused on overt behaviour rather than on unmeasurable mental processes. He predicted that the cat would be able to escape immediately once it randomly discovered the solution, but it turned out that there was never a distinct “ah-hah!” moment, and improvement was gradual.

Question 3

Stamping In

Answer 3

Random behaviours that are followed by the favourable consequences are performed more frequently

Question 4

Stamping Out

Answer 4

Random behaviours with negative or no consequences are performed less frequently

Question 5

Law of Effect

Answer 5

behaviours with positive consequences are stamped in, those with negative consequences are stamped out. Leads to refinement and the learning of a contingency between good behaviours and rewards.

Question 6

Four Consequences

Answer 6

Presentation of a Positive reinforcer,
Removal of a positive reinforcer,
Presentation of a negative reinforcer
Removal of a negative reinforcer

Question 7

Reinforcer

Answer 7

any stimulus which, when presented after a response, leads to a change in the rate of that response.

Question 8

Reward Training/Positive Reinforcement

Answer 8

involves the presentation of a positive reinforcer following a response. Increases the frequency of the behaviour.

Question 9

Punishment Training/Positive Punishment

Answer 9

involves the presentation of a negative reinforcer to decrease undesired behaviour. Can raise ethical concerns in the real world and the authority can become a CS.

Question 10

Omission Training/Negative Punishment

Answer 10

involves the removal of a positive reinforcer in order to decrease undesired behaviour. Leads to avoidance.

Question 11

Punishment vs. Omission

Answer 11

Both lead to a decrease in undesired behaviour, but each do so by different means. The removal of a positive reinforcer IS NOT the same as the presentation of a negative reinforcer. Punishment has a more specific meaning in instrumental conditioning than in everyday life.

Question 12

Escape Training/Negative Reinforcement

Answer 12

involves the removal of a negative reinforcer to increase desired behaviour. The reinforcer is constantly being presented and the subject wants to have it removed.

Question 13

Consequence Timing

Answer 13

any type of instrumental conditioning occurs best when the consequence is presented immediately after response.

Question 14

Responding Rate

Answer 14

dependent on subject, complexity of behaviour, and type of reinforcement used.

Question 15

Autoshaping

Answer 15

Over time, a contingency is learned when the behaviour to response pattern is repeated. The subject isn’t taught anything, it just learned it eventually. Rewards are spontaneous through correct action.

Question 16

Shaping by Successive Approximation/Chaining

Answer 16

A complex behaviour van be organized into smaller steps which gradually build up to the full response that we hope to condition through reward training. Used for behaviours that the organism wouldn’t be able to do on its own.

Question 17

Discriminative Stimulus (SD/S+)

Answer 17

signals when a contingency between a particular response and reinforcement is on.

Question 18

S-Delta (S-)

Answer 18

a cue which indicates when the contingent relationship is not valid

Question 19

Generalization

Answer 19

a response can be elicited by cues that are similar to the original CS.

Question 20

Discrimination

Answer 20

in a controlled environment, an experimenter can control and train the contingencies with S+ and S-

Question 21

Extinction

Answer 21

the association between a behaviour and an instrumental outcome can be lost

Question 22

CS versus SD

Answer 22

CS is involuntary and automatically elicits a response.
SD does not reflexively elicit a response. Rather, it signals the occasion for a voluntary response by signalling when the response-reinforcer-outcome relationship is valid.

Question 23

Continuous Reinforcement

Answer 23

response leads to a reinforcer on every single trial.

Question 24

Partial Reinforcement Schedules

Answer 24

reinforcers for a portion of correct responses and is more effective than continuous schedules.
Fixed Ratio
Variable Ratio
Fixed Interval
Variable Interval

Question 25

Ratio Schedule

Answer 25

based on number os responses which determines when reinforcement is given

Question 26

Interval Schedule

Answer 26

based on time since last response was reinforced

Question 27

Fixed Ratio

Answer 27

reinforcement is delivered after a certain number of responses (EX: every five times.)

Question 28

Variable Ratio

Answer 28

reinforcement is delivered after some random number of responses around a characteristic mean.

Question 29

Higher Response Rates

Answer 29

caused by more frequent/faster reinforcement rates.

Question 30

Fixed Interval

Answer 30

reinforcement is delivered following the first response after a set interval time. Following reinforcement, responding drops then slowly begins peaking up again before schedule period is delivered following a response.

Question 31

Variable Interval

Answer 31

reinforcement can be received at any time, though you do have an idea of how often reinforcement is likely to occur.

Question 32

Extinction and Reinforcement schedules

Answer 32

Partial: when reinforcement stops occurring, abrupt change is not immediately obvious
Continuous: when reinforcement stops occurring, learner is aware of abrupt change and will decrease responding.

Question 33

Overjustification Effect

Answer 33

displays how changes in reinforcement (newly introduced reward for a previously unrewarded task) can alter the individual’s perception of that task. A task that was previously viewed as having intrinsic value now becomes viewed as work with extrinsic value.

Question 34

Observational Learning

Answer 34

associative learning involves direct experience and often leads to imitation or avoidance behaviours when appropriate, especially in unfamiliar situations.