Reinforcement

Question 1

-reinforcement is

Answer 1

the process in which behavior is strengthened by immediate consequences that reliably follows its occurrence

Question 2

• Operant Learning

- Operant-

Answer 2

a class of behavior that operates on the environment to produce a common environmental consequence

Question 3

-Learning

Answer 3

change in behavior due to experience

Question 4

-Operant Learning

Answer 4

a change in class of behavior as a function of the consequences that followed it

-Learning = Conditioning

Question 5

Effect of Consequences

Answer 5

• Increase behavior = reinforce

- decrease behavior = punish

Question 6

Effect of Reinforcing Consequences

Answer 6

• Increase frequency
• increase duration
• increase intensity
• Increase in quickness (decrease in latency)
• Increase in variability
• You get an increase of whatever reinforcer is contingent on

Question 7

Two Ways of Reinforcing

Answer 7

• Add a stimulus – behavior increase - positive reinforcement (positive reinforcer)
• remove a stimulus – behavior decrease – negative reinforcement (aversive stimulus)

Question 8

Rewards vs Reinforcers

Answer 8

Rewards vs Reinforcers

-reward does not equal reinforcer

Question 9

Notes about Reinforcement

Answer 9

• reinforcement is not a theory
• reinforcement is a functional description
• reinforcement is NOT circular
• Incorrect Usage: “the consequence (e.g. food) increases the probability of the response (e.g. lever pressing) because it was reinforcing
• CORRECT USAGE: “the consequence (food) functioned as a reinforcer for the response (lever pressing
• The explanatory power or reinforcement comes from discovering:
• the stimuli that will function as a reinforcer
• the conditions that allow a stimulus to have a reinforcing function
• Increase the probability of is often shortened to strengthened

Question 10

-escape behavior

Answer 10

the occurrence of the behavior results in the termination of an aversive stimulus that was already present when the behavior occurred. That is, the person escapes from the aversive stimulus by engaging in a particular behavior.

Question 11

-avoidance behavior

Answer 11

the occurrence of the behavior presents an aversive stimulus from occurring. That is, the person avoids the aversive stimulus by engaging in a particular behavior, and the behavior is strengthened

Question 12

-contingency

Answer 12

when the response produces the consequence, and the consequence does not occur unless the response occurs first, so a contingency between them exists

Question 13

-establishing motivation

Answer 13

makes a reinforcer more potent (it establishes the effectiveness of a reinforcer)

Question 14

-abolishing reinforcer

Answer 14

makes a reinforcer less potent (it abolishes or decreases the effectiveness of a reinforcer)

Question 15

abolishing operation

Answer 15

-when the event decreases the aversiveness of a stimulus, escape form or removal may become less reinforcing

Question 16

Two types of Reinforcers

Unconditional (primary) reinforcer:

Answer 16

• a reinforcer that acquired its properties as a function of species evolutionary history:
• Stimuli and events that have phylogenetic importance
• food, sex, water, social interaction, specific types of sensory stimulation, escape from harmful stimuli
• Usually depends on some amount of deprivation
• Often species specific

Question 17

-Liberman, et al. 1973:

Answer 17

• differentially reinforced an incompatible set of behavior
• “rational talk” and “irrational talk” are incompatible behaviors
• reinforced “rational talk”
• did not reinforce (extinguished) “irrational talk”

Question 18

Conditional Reinforcer (secondary)

Answer 18

• otherwise, neutral stimuli or events that have acquired the ability to reinforce due to a contingent relationship with other, typically unconditional, reinforcers
• the group that experiences the contingent pairing, it can function as a conditional reinforce (rat experiment)

Question 19

Conditional Reinforcement Experiment

Answer 19

• Pigeons choose between two keys
• Key A – provided food 20% of the time
• provided CR
• Key B – provided food 50% of the time
• Did not provide CR
• Pigeons strongly preferred Key A even though it provided less food