Reinforcement Flashcards
What did E.L. Thorndike discover with regards to reinforcement
Place hungry cat into puzzle box with fish outside, cat opens box with trial and error
Behaviour becomes quicker over time = Law of effect
What is the law of effect
Behaviour followed by a pleasant consequence is more likely to occur again in that situation
Definition of operant
Functioning or tending to produce effects: effective
Are operant behaviours evoked, elicited or emitted?
Only emitted or evoked
What kind of behaviours are elicited
Classically conditioned ones
Operant conditioning aka
instrumental conditioning
What is operant conditioning
Manipulating consequences of behaviour
Characteristics of consequences in operant conditioning
- may increase or decrease beh
- consequence can in itself be a stimulus that leads to another beh
- consequences occur immediately after a beh
Definition of reinforcement
The process in which the consequence of a beh strengthens the beh (more likely to occur (freq), occurs more quickly (latency))
What is a reinforcer
A stimulus, object, or event that strengthens a behaviour, often is an appetitive stimulus
Two types of reinforcement
Positive and negative
What is positive reinforcement? E.g.?
a situation in which a behaviour is followed by the presentation of an appetitive (pleasant) stimulus that increases the behaviour
e.g. I tell a joke -> you laugh = I tell more jokes in the future
What is negative reinforcement? E.g.?
a situation in which a behaviour is followed by the removal of an aversive stimulus that increases the behaviour
e.g. putting up an umbrella -> stops cold rain falling on you = more likely to have umbrella when its raining
Two subtypes of negative reinforcement, explain
Escape behaviour = causes removal of existing aversive stimulus
Avoidance = prevents presentation of aversive stimulus
Natural vs programmed reinforcement
Natural = occurs spontaneously as part of everyday life (e.g. friend laughs when you tell joke)
Programmed = planned and systematic; given as part of a behavioural treatment
Social vs automatic reinforcement
Social = involves another person to deliver reinforcing consequences
Automatic = the individual gets reinforcing consequences directly from the environment (e.g. scratching itch makes it go away)
Tangible vs activity reinforcement
Tangible = access to a preferred object (includes consumable reinforcement)
Activity = engaging in a preferred behaviour after doing a non-preferred behaviour (e.g. 25 min study, 5 min break)
What is the premack principle
High-probability beh can serve as positive reinforcement for performing a low probability behaviour, thus increasing it (activity reinforcement)
What is temptation bundling
Making a more desirable behaviour contingent on performing a less desirable behaviour (e.g. podcast at gym)
Is temptation bundling activity reinforcement?
No, it is synchronous reinforcement
two types of reinforcers
Unconditioned
Conditioned
What are unconditioned reinforcers? Eg?
Stimulus or event that has natural reinforcing effects (not due to prior conditioning/learning)
e.g. food, water
What are conditioned reinforcers? Eg?
Previously neutral stimulus that has become associated with an unconditioned reinforcer
e.g. money, clicker
Unconditioned reinforcers aka? Conditioned aka?
Primary
Secondary
Four factors that influence the effectiveness of reinforcement
Reward value
Motivating operations
Timing
Contingency (consistency)
What are motivating operations
Antecedent events that can temporarily alter the effectiveness of reinforcement, thus affecting behaviour
Motivating operations aka
Setting events
Two subtypes of motivating operations
- Establishing operation: establishes/increases the effectiveness of reinforcement (e.g. caloric deficit = want food)
- Abolishing operation: decreases the effectiveness of reinforcement (e.g. fullness = no want food)
Types of setting events/motivational operations
Social e.g. attractive person
Physiological e.g. headache
Environmental e.g. loudness
Two types of schedules of reinforcement
Continuous: reinforcement given for each response = rapid acquisition
Intermittent: only some responses are reinforced = longer acquisition
Four subtypes of intermittent reinforcement
Fixed/variable ratio
Fixed/variable interval
What is fixed ratio schedule
Reinforcer given after set number of responses
High response rate, brief post-reinforcement pause
What is variable ratio schedule
Reinforcer given after a random number of responses (deviates around a mean)
High response rates
What is fixed interval schedule
Reinforcer given when response occurs after a certain length of time
Responses increase as reinforcement time nears
What is variable interval schedule
Reinforcer given when response occurs after a variable length of time (length deviates around mean)
Slow, steady responding
Forms of + reinforcement
Natural vs programmed
Social vs automatic
Tangible vs activity
Subtype of conditioned reinforcer
Generalized conditioned reinforcer; reinforcer paired with wide variety of other reinforcers (e.g. money can get food, housing, etc)
What is deprivation vs satiation
D= type of establishing operation that increases the effectiveness of most unconditioned reinforcers and some conditioned reinforcers
e.g. water deprivation
S= abolishing operation, reinforcer less potent
e.g. ate large meal
When are continuous reinforcement schedules used
During acquisition (learning/engaging in beh for first time)
When is intermittent reinforcement used
After acquisition, during maintenance
