Topic 4

Question 1

What was EL Thorndike view on reinforcement?

Answer 1

• place cat in a “puzzle box” and it learned to escape using trial and error
• behaviours become quicker over time
• law of effect: behaviour followed by pleasant consequences is more likely to occur again

Question 2

Define operant condition

define operant itself

Answer 2

• operant: “functioning or tending to produce effects: effectivel of or relating to the observable or measurable”; behaviour operates on the enviornment
• operant/instrumental conditioning: manipulating consequences of behaviour; consequence occur immediately after a behaviour

Question 3

define reinforcement and reinforcer

Answer 3

• reinforcement: strengthening of a behaviour
• reonforcer: stimulus, object, or event that strengthens a behaviour

Question 4

What are the types of reinforcement

define subtypes of negative reinforcement

Answer 4

1. positive
   - something good = increases behaviour
2. negative
   - removing an unpleasant stimulus increases a certain behaviour
   - escape behaviour: causes removal of exisiting stimulus (eg. putting a sweater when u feel cold)
   - avoidant behaviour: avoiding the expeced stimulus

Question 5

What are the forms of reinforcement?

7 of them

Answer 5

• natural reinforcement: occurs part of every day
• programmed reinforcement: planned and systematic; given as part of a behavioural treatment
• social reinforcement: involves other person to deliever reinforicing consequences
• automiatic reinforcement: gets consqeunce directly from environemtn and doesn’t include actions of other ppl (eg. scratching an itch and it goes away)
• tangible/material reinforcement: preferred object (consumble reinforcement)
• sensory/interoceptive reinforcement: pleasnat sensory stimulation
• activity: engaing in a preferred behaviour after doing a non-preferred behaviour (eg. pomodoro technique)

Question 6

Define premack principle and temptation bundling

explain the exercise and audiobook case

Answer 6

• high-probability behaviour can serve as pisitive reinforcement for perfoming a low probability behaviour
• seeing if only accessing the audiobook at the gym will increase gym attendence behaviour
• temptation bundling: making a more desirable behaviour on performing a less desirable bhevaiour

Question 7

What the kinds of reinforcers?

Answer 7

1. unconditioned/primary: survival instinct; natural reinforcing effects not due to prior conditiong or learning
2. condition/secondary: previously neutral stimulus associated with an unconiditoned reinforcer
   - eg. token reinforcement where tokens can be exchanged for backup reinforcers (money food)

Question 8

Factors Influencing effectiveness of reinforcement

Define: reward value, timing, contingency

Answer 8

• reward values: quantity and quality of the reinforcer and it’s value to the individual
• timing: reinforcement occur soon after behaviour
• contingency: consequences should consistently follow the behaviour

Question 9

Factors Influencing effectiveness of reinforcement

What are the types of operations

3 of them

Answer 9

1. motivating operations/ setting events: before events that can temporarily alter the effectuvebess if reinforcement= affect behaviour
2. establishing: situations makes reinforcement more potent/ effective
3. abolishing: decreases effectiveness of reinforcement

Question 10

What are the schedules of reinforcement

define cotinuous and intermittent

Answer 10

• continuours: reinforcement given for each response
• intermittent/partial: reinforcement for some responses

Question 11

What are the types of intermittent schedule of reinforcement?

Answer 11

1. fixed ratio: reinforcer given after a set of number of responses
2. varbiable ratiol: reinforcer given after random number of responses
3. fixed interval: reinforcer given when response occurs after a certain length of time
4. variable interval: reinforcer given when response occurs after a varible length of time