Test 2 Flashcards
The Law of Effect
- Created by E.L. Thorndike
- In any given situation, the probability of. a behavior occurring is a function of the consequences it has had in that situation in the past
- Behaviors will be repeated if they lead to satisfying consequences
Operant Learning
Behavior can be said to operate on the environment
Instrumental Learning
Behavior is instrumental in producing consequences
BF Skinner identified 4 operant procedures:
- Positive Reinforcement
- Negative Reinforcement
- Positive Punishment
- Negative Punishment
Reinforcement
The procedure of providing consequences for a behavior that increases or maintains the rate of a behavior
- This is ALWAYS true
Punishment
The procedure of providing consequences for a behavior that reduce the rate of behavior.
- This is ALWAYS true
Positive Reinforcement
Behavior –> Presented w/ good stimulus –> Frequency of behavior increases
Negative Reinforcement (escape/avoidance)
Behavior –> Removal of bad stimulus –> Frequency of behavior increases
Positive Punishment
Presentation of a stimulus should discourage/reduce the behavior
- Timeout
- Driving course for reckless driving
Negative Punishment
Removal of a stimulus should discourage/reduce the behavior
- Timeout
- Ticket for speeding
- Car getting towed for parking w/out a permit
- Denial of privileges
The three-term contingency (S-R-S)
Description of an operant procedure that identifies 3 elements: The situation (S) in which the behavior occurs; the particular response (R) or behavior that occurs; and the consequence (S) the behavior has
- Sometimes referred to with the letters A-B-C: Antecedent - Behavior - Consequence
The 2 Stages of Operant Learning
- 1) Acquisition
- 2) Extinction
Acquisition
The stage in which a response is acquired or initially learned (response becomes stronger)
Extinction
(After acquisition has occurred) The stage in which a response declines due to withholding of the rewarding stimulus, even if the response is shown
Spontaneous Recovery
The sudden reappearance of a learned response following extinction
2 Variables Affecting Reinforcement
- 1) R-S Contingency
- 2) R-S Contiguity
R-S Contingency
Where operant learning is concerned, the word contingency means that a particular consequence depends on the performance of a particular behavior
- The greater the degree of contingency between a behavior and a reinforcer, the faster the behavior changes
R-S Contiguity
The gap between a response and its reinforcing consequences. In general, the shorter this interval is, the faster learning occurs
4 Schedules of Reinforcement
- Fixed Interval
- Variable Interval
- Fixed Ratio
- Variable Ratio
Fixed Interval
An individual is rewarded for responding after a fixed period of time
- Ex) A rat receives food by pressing a lever after 10 seconds
- Getting paid (bi-weekly)
- Good grades
- Rent due on (x)
- Christmas bonus every year
- Microwave
Variable Interval
An individual is rewarded for responding after an unspecified period of time
- Ex) A rat receives food by pressing a lever after 7 seconds, then 12 seconds, then 5. . .
- Waiting for food @ a restaurant
- Speeding tickets
- Waiting for the elevator
- Infant feeding schedule
- Random bonus @ work
- Pop quiz
Fixed Ratio
A reward is delivered following a specified number of responses
- Continuous reinforcement –> Being rewarded for each behavioral response is an FR 1 Schedule
- Ex) A rat receives food after it presses a lever 10 times
- Ex) You get a soda each time you put money in a vending machine
- Vending Machine
- Training your dog (every x time he sits, he gets a treat)
- Doing your chores (every 10)
- Advertising promotion ( 1 thousandth customer)
- Hole puncher for a coffee shop
- Apple watch 10,000 steps
- Free flight after 10,000 miles
- 10 reps at the gym then break
- Being paid on commision
Variable Ratio
A reward is delivered following an unspecified number of responses
- Ex) A rat receives food after ir presses a lever 12 times, then 7 times, then 9 . . .
- Gambling
- Claw/slot machine
- Sports betting
Learning
An inferred change in the organism’s mental state which results from experience and which influences in a relatively permanent fashion the organism’s potential for subsequent adaptive behavior
- Tarpy and Mayer, 1978
Partial Reinforcement Effect (PRE)
A behavior maintained on an intermittent schedule is more resistant to extinction than behavior maintained on continuous (1 for 1) reinforcement
- The ‘thinner’ the reinforcement schedule before extinction, the greater the # of responses during extinction
- Additionally, if the partial reinforcement pattern is variable ( VI and VR schedules), then there will be a greater number of responses during extinction than if the pattern is predictable/fixed