Operant Conditioning

Question 0

Operant conditioning can be formalized as a three-way association:

Answer 0

S->R->O

Stimulus Response Outcome

Question 1

Operant conditioning

Answer 1

Learning to make or refrain from certain responses in order to obtain or avoid certain outcomes

Question 2

Discrete trial paradigm:

Answer 2

Experimenter defines the beginning and end of each trial

Question 3

Free-operant paradigm

Answer 3

Animal can operate the apparatus freely

Question 4

Discriminative stimulus

Answer 4

Stimuli that signal whether a particular response will lead to a particular outcome

Question 5

Shaping

Answer 5

Reinforcing successive approximations (each step)

Question 6

Chaining

Answer 6

Gradually trained to execute complicated sequences of discrete responses

Question 7

Shaping and chaining are techniques for what kind of reinforcement?

Answer 7

Positive

Question 8

The _____ determines the change in behavior

Answer 8

Outcome

Question 9

Two outcomes that occur in operant conditioning:

Answer 9

Reinforcers and punishers

Question 10

A consequence of behavior that leads to increased likelihood of that behavior in the future

Answer 10

Reinforcer

Question 11

Primary reinforcer

Answer 11

Satisfy an innate drive (food, water, sleep)

Question 12

Secondary reinforcer

Answer 12

Initially have no intrinsic value but have been paired with primary reinforcers (money)

Question 13

Positive reinforcement

Answer 13

Performance of the response causes the reinforcer to be added to the environment (clean room, get allowance)

Question 14

Negative reinforcement

Answer 14

Behavior is encouraged because it causes something to be taken away from the environment (take aspirin, stop headache)

Question 15

Consequences of a behavior that lead to decreased likelihood of that behavior in the future

Answer 15

Punishers

Question 16

Positive punishment

Answer 16

Response leads to negative effects (tease sister, get spanked)

Question 17

Negative punishment

Answer 17

Response ends/avoids a positive effect

Question 18

Partial reinforcement effect

Answer 18

Some but not all responses are reinforced

Question 19

Continuous reinforcement schedule

Answer 19

Each response is followed by the outcome

Question 20

Fixed ratio

Answer 20

Fixed number of responses must be made (stair-step pattern)

Question 21

Fixed interval

Answer 21

Reinforces the first response after a fixed amount of time (scalloped curve)

Question 22

Variable ratio

Answer 22

Reinforcement after a certain average number of responses (biggest rate of response)

Question 23

Variable interval

Answer 23

Reinforces the first response after an interval that averages a particular length of time

Question 24

Matching law of choice behavior

Answer 24

Response rates to concurrent schedules often correspond to the rate of reinforcement for each schedule (given two responses)

Question 25

Brain substrates

Answer 25

Dorsal striatum

Orbitofrontal cortex

Question 26

One of the pleasure centers is:

Answer 26

The central tegmental area VTA

Question 27

Endogenous opioids

Answer 27

Liking systems (endorphins)

Question 28

Incentive salience hypothesis

Answer 28

Dopamine motivates learners to work for reinforcement

Question 29

Anhedonia hypothesis

Answer 29

Dopamine gives reinforcers their goodness

Question 30

Pathological addiction

Answer 30

A string habit maintained despite harmful consequences