Schedules of Reinforcement (OC) Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
1
Q

Name the two most common schedules of reinforcement.

A
  • Continuous

- Intermittent/ Partial

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Describe continuous reinforcement:

A

Every occurrence of an operant response is followed
by a reinforcer

  • Initial conditioning or shaping
  • Brush your teeth before bed
  • Press the lever for food
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Describe Intermittent/partial reinforcement:

A

• Only some occurrences of the operant response are followed
by a reinforcer
• Close alignment with life (i.e. we are not ALWAYS awesome –
or told we are – or get what we want)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What type of behaviour emerge once there has been considerable exposure to the schedule?

A

• Steady-state behaviours emerge once there has been

considerable exposure to the schedule

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What are the types of schedules of intermittent reinforcement?

A

• Ratio schedules
Fixed and Variable

• Interval schedules
Fixed and Variable

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What is a Fixed Ratio Schedule (FR)?

A
Reinforcement depends upon a fixed/predictable number of responses emitted since the last reinforcer
• FR1 = each response is followed by
reinforcement
• FR4 = the 4th response is followed by
reinforcement
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Is there a post-reinforcement pause with FR?

A

Yes- small post-reinforcement pause to eat/rest/etc.

Overall it is a ‘break and run’ cycle

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Does FR have a high rate of responding?

A

Yes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

How long is a post-reinforcement pause for a FR?

A

Post-reinforcement pause lengthens with task duration
•Dense vs lean schedules
• Burnout and gradual increase from dense to lean

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What are dense vs lean schedules?

A
Lean= involved task
Dense= less involved task
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Does FR have a high or low resistance of extinction?

A

Low

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What is a Variable Ratio (VR) Schedule of reinforcement?

A

Reinforcement depends upon a variable/unpredictable number of responses emitted since the last reinforcer

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What is an example of VR?

A

Poker machines. You don’t know how many times you have to press the lever to win.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Is there a post-reinforcement pause with VR?

A

No

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Does VR have a high rate of responding?

A

Yes- high and steady

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Does VR have a high or low resistance of extinction?

A

High

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What is a fixed Interval Schedule (FI)?

A

A response is reinforced when a fixed/predictable period of time has elapsed since the last reinforcer

FI 25 = after 25 secs have elapsed since the last reinforcer, reinforcement will be given again

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What is the pattern of response for FI?

A

A scalloped pattern due to long post-reinforcement pauses

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Does FI have long post-reinforcement pauses?

A

Yes. For example, the rat knows it can only get food every 3 minutes so for the first 2.5 minutes it’ll just slack off, hence, the longer post-reinforcement pauses.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Does FI have a high or low resistance to extinction?

A

Low

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What is a Variable Interval Schedule (VI)?

A

A response is reinforced when a variable/unpredictable period of time has elapsed since the last reinforcer

  • VI 25 = after an average of 25 secs since
    the last reinforcer, reinforcement will be
    given again
22
Q

What is the pattern of response for VI?

A

Moderate-steady rate of responding

23
Q

Does VI have long post-reinforcement pauses?

A

No post-reinforcement pause at all

24
Q

Does VI have a high or low resistance to extinction?

A

High resistance

25
Q

What is extinction?

A

Non-reinforcement of a previously reinforced response, resulting in a decrease in response strength

26
Q

• If the response ceases, it has been
____________
• If not entirely ceased, it is ______ __________

A

Extinguished; partially extinguished

27
Q

What are the six side effects of extincition? Expain them

A
  1. Extinction burst
    • Temporary increase in frequency and intensity of
    responding when implemented (rat tries to press lever a lot to get food even if there isnt any)
  2. Increase in variability
    • The way in which the behaviour occurs changes form (rat tries to press lever in different ways)
  3. Emotional behaviour
    • Frustration!
  4. Aggression

If it doesn’t appear to be working it could be:

  1. Resurgence
    • Unusual but like regression – reappearance of
    previously successful behaviour
  2. Depression
    • Symptoms similar to this reflecting loss of
    reinforcement
28
Q

There is a ____ resistance to extinction if it is persistent and a ____ low resistance to extinction if it disappears quickly

A

high; low

29
Q

Which schedule of reinforcement is hardest to extinguish?

A

Note partial reinforcement effect in which intermittent
schedule leads to higher resistance

-Variable

30
Q

How does history of reinforcement impact extinction?

A

More reinforcers = harder to extinguish

31
Q

How does Magnitude of the reinforcer impact extinction?

A

Larger= harder to extinguish

32
Q

How does degree of deprivation impact extinction?

A

more deprivation = bigger the reinforcer thus harder to extinguish

33
Q

What are some factors that make extinction hard?

A
  • Resistance to extinction
  • Schedule of reinforcement
  • History of reinforcement
  • Magnitude of the reinforcer
  • Degree of deprivation
  • Previous experience with extinction
34
Q

What is spontaneous recovery?

A
  • Reappearance of extinguished response after rest period

* Repeated efforts required for learning due to presence of discriminative stimulus

35
Q

What is Differential reinforcement of other behaviour (DRO)? Give an example

A

• Simultaneously extinguish behaviour
while reinforcing alternative behaviour
• No deprivation of reinforcement in the setting, thus reducing likely side effects AND can achieve desired
outcome but for alternative behavioural processes

  • extinguish coffee drinking by reinforcing green tea drinking
36
Q

What are three types of complex schedules of reinforcement?

A

Duration, time, progressive

37
Q

How do duration schedules work?

A

A behaviour must be performed continuously for a period of time (either fixed or variable).

38
Q

How do time schedules work?

A

A reinforcer is delivered after a period of time (either fixed or variable) regardless of what behaviour occurs

39
Q

How do progresive schedules work?

A

The requirement for the reinforcement increases in a predetermined way following each reinforcement.

40
Q

What is a chained schedule of reinforcement?

A

• Sequence of simple schedules in a specific order
• Weaker responses earlier in chain (goal gradient
effect)
• Long chains can be vulnerable to disruption

41
Q

On paper, draw an example of a chained schedule of reinforcement

A

5 presses of red disk

3 presses of the green
disk

Total 8 presses
produces reinforcer of
food

42
Q

What is are Multiple schedules?

A

A mix of 2 or more simple schedules

43
Q

What is are Mixed schedules?

A

Requirements for reinforcement are a combination of two or more simple schedules.

44
Q

What is are Co-operative schedules?

A

Reinforcement is contingent on the behaviour of two or more individuals.

45
Q

What is are Concurrent schedules?

A

Two or more schedules are available at once and the individual or animal must choose between them.

46
Q

What are the four hypotheses explaining the partial-reinforcement effect?

A
  • The Discrimination Hypothesis
  • The Frustration Hypothesis
  • The Sequential Hypothesis
  • The Response Unit Hypothesis
47
Q

What is The Discrimination Hypothesis?

A

Extinction takes longer after intermittent reinforcement
because it is harder to discriminate between an intermittent schedule and extinction, than it is to discriminate between continuous reinforcement and an extinction procedure.

48
Q

What is The Frustration Hypothesis

A

Non-reinforcement of a previously reinforced behaviour is frustrating and that as frustration is an aversive state,
anything that reduces frustration will be reinforcing.

• In a partial reinforcment schedule, performing the
behaviour becomes a reinforcer for reducing frustration
and as such it continues during a phase of extinction.

49
Q

What is The Sequential Hypothesis

A

• During the conditioning process the behaviour is followed by one of two events, either reinforcement or nonreinforcement.
• The sequence of behaviours becomes a signal for the
behaviour.
• If a behaviour has been partially reinforced then the
extinguished there is not the same change in the sequence of behaviours as if a continuous schedule had been used initially.

50
Q

What is The Response Unit Hypothesis

A

• The partial reinforcement effect is due to differences in the definition of behaviour during intermittent and continuous reinforcement.
• Intermittent reinforcement appears more resistant to
extinction only because we have not taken into account the response units required to produce reinforcement.