Lecture 5- Operant Conditioning Continued

Question 0

What are some flaws of the drive reduction theory? How did olds and miller’s (1954) study support one of these?

Answer 0

• novel stimulus or reinforcers don’t satisfy a need (eg curiosity isn’t a need)
• sometimes reinforcement comes from stimulation (eg sensation seeking) olds and miller put rats into a container where if they pressed a lever, they would get an electrical stimulation in the brain. The rats chose the stimulation over eating and drinking. Therefore needs aren’t being met defying the drive reduction theory

Question 1

What is the drive reduction theory? Example

Answer 1

The drive reduction theory basically says that reinforcers satisfy a physiological need and therefore the behaviour continues. For example a reinforcer of food Satisfies the need of hunger

Question 2

What is Premack’s behaviour regulation theory of reinforcers? Example.

Answer 2

Premack said a high probability behaviour (desired behaviour) reinforces a low probability behaviour (not desired behaviour). E.g. A rat is water derived - it will run (not desired behaviour) so it can drink (desired behaviour)

Question 3

What’s a real life example of behaviour regulation reinforcement?

Answer 3

Trying to get a child to eat his greens. So tell the child that he can eat his chips (desired behaviour) if he eats all the greens on his plate (undesired behaviour). Brown, spencer and swift food that by taking this approach the boy gradually began to eat his greens without the reinforcement

Question 4

What is the difference between escape and avoidance learning?

Answer 4

Escape learning is when a response is given to stop an aversive consequence
And avoidance learning is when a response is given to prevent the aversive consequence altogether

Question 5

What is one-way avoidance?

Answer 5

One-way avoidance is the presentation of the aversive stimulus (ie shock) in one section. The shock can therefore be associated with that area and avoided.

Question 6

What is two way avoidance? what two things make learning faster?

Answer 6

Two way avoidance is when the presentation of the aversive stimulus could be presented in either compartment so the rat runs between the two compartments to avoid it.

• if the stimulus is weak (too strong and they won’t bother)
• if the compartments are similar

Question 7

What does the 2 factory model suggest about avoidance learning? But what is a limitation of this model?

Answer 7

The 2 factor model says that the Aversive stimuli (CS) creates fear (CR) therefore avoidance reduces the fear (negative reinforcer). This model is good at explaining the acquisition of avoidance but not the maintenance.

Question 8

Draw a “how to reduce avoidance” table:

Answer 8

Invivo gradual exposure = habituation training
In vivo massed exposure = flooding
Insensu gradual exposure = systematic desensitisation
Insensu massed exposure = in sensu exposure

Question 9

Explain Seligams learned helplessness experiment. What were some health consequences for the dogs that had learned helplessness?

Answer 9

• reduced activity (adrenalin levels lowed)
• analgesia
• reduces immune systems
• more ulcers

Question 10

What is the point of a functional analysis?

Answer 10

Allows us to determine causes of, stimuli for, maintaining factors and consequences of behaviours

Question 11

What do the SORCK stand for in a SORCK analysis?

Answer 11

S- prior stimulation (what happened before behaviour)
O- state of the organism
R- the behaviour
C- consequences of the behaviour
K- contingency, if behaviours are reinforced or punished