PSYC*2330 Chapter 5: Instumental Conditioning Foundations Flashcards
What is instrumental behaviour?
Behaviour that occurs because it was previously effective in producing certain consequences/ reinforcers
T or F: In both classical and instrumental conditioning, responding is necessary to produce a desired outcome.
False. Only instrumental conditioning requires specific responding for the consequence/outcome to occur.
How did Thorndike propose cats were able to escape from his puzzle boxes?
Through trial and error, cats accidentally escaped the box, then remembered how to do so
T or F: Thorndike believed that cats understood the mechanisms involved in escaping his puzzle boxes.
False
What does the law of effect state?
Behaviours leading to desirable outcomes are repeated and behaviours leading to undesirable outcomes are not repeated
According to the law of effect, associations are made between what two events?
- The preceding stimulus
- The response
T or F: The law of effect doesn’t consider the outcome of a behaviour
True
What type of association is considered a key mechanism of habitual behaviours and compulsions?
S-R associations
In what type of instrumental conditioning procedure are participants only able to perform the instrumental responses during specified periods?
Discrete-trial procedures
How do discrete-trial procedures begin and end?
- Begin by placing the animal in the apparatus (usually a maze)
- End by removing the animal from the apparatus after the instrumental response has been performed
What type of maze contains a start box (separated by a removable barrier) at one end and a goal box at the other
A runway/ straight-alley maze
What are two ways behaviour in discrete-trial procedures can be quantified?
- Measuring running speed
- Measuring latency
In discrete-trial procedures, what does running speed measure?
How fast the animal gets from the start box to the goal box
With training in discrete-trial procedures, does running speed typically increase or decrease?
Increase
In discrete-trial procedures, what does latency measure?
The time it takes the animal to leave the start box and begin running down the alley
With training in discrete-trial procedures, does latency typically increase or decrease?
Decrease
What is the instrumental response in a straight-alley maze?
Leaving the start box and running down the alley
What type of maze is used in discrete-trial procedures to study choice?
The T maze
What type of instrumental conditioning procedure permits repeated performance of the instrumental response without intervention by the experimenter?
Free-operant procedures
Who invented free-operant procedures?
B.F Skinner
In free-operant procedures, what are the two primary measures of interest?
- Number of responses
- Response rate
How are operant responses defined?
By the effect they produce on the environment
T or F: Different behaviours that have the same environmental outcome are considered to be instances of the same operant response.
True
What is the relation between operant responses and instrumental responses?
The individual actions involved in producing an operant response are instrumental responses