Unit 3 Flashcards
Thorndike
Supernormal psychology of animals, law of effect
chicks and cats
Law of Effect
+4 elements
Behaviour is a function of consequences.
Four key elements: environment, behaviour occurring, change in environment post-behaviour, change in behaviour produced by this consequence
Metzgar
Released mice into habitat. Followed up with more mice, then released an owl; knowing the environment paid off.
Skinner Box
Chamber with a food-magazine that drops pellets of food into a tray
Operant Learning
instrumental learning, response learning, consequence learning, R-S learning;
when behaviour is altered by consequence
- behaviour is operating on environment
Reinforcement
increase in strength of behaviour due to consequences
Reinforcement = ↑Strength of behaviour ∵Consequences
Catania’s requirements
three req for experience to qualify as a reinforcement
1. Behaviour must have consequence
2. Behaviour must increase strength
3. Increased strength must be ∵ of the consequence.
Positive reinforcement
consequence of behaviour is the appearance/increase in intensity of stimulus
behaviour -> reinforcer -> increase behaviour
Positive reinforcer
Stimulus in positive reinforcement.
Usually sought out or positive
Reward learning
aka Positive Reinforcement; consequences are considered rewarding
Skinner dislikes this term
Negative reinforcement
the consequence of a behaviour is the decrease of intensity or removal of a stimulus
Negative reinforcer
Stimulus in negative reinforcement; usually escaped or avoided
Escape learning
aka Negative reinforcement from escaping
Behavioural momentum
Nevin’s term - behaviour that is reinforced many times is more likely to persist when obstructed
Primary reinforcers
Innately effective; Baum “phylogenetically significant events”
Unconditioned reinforcers
aka Primary Reinforcers
Satiation
when reinforcers lose their effectiveness
Secondary reinforcers
not innate but rather are the result of learning experiences
Conditioned reinforcers
aka secondary reinforcers
Generalized reinforcer
a reinforcer paired with other reinforcers
e.g., money
Natural reinforcer
spontaneously follow a behaviour
brush your teeth -> mouth feelings clean
Automatic reinforcers
aka natural reinforcers
Contrived reinforcers
provided for the purpose of behaviour modification
Motivating operation
anything that changes the effectiveness of a consequence
two types
Establishing operations
increase the effectiveness of a consequence
Abolishing operations
decrease the effectiveness of a consequence
ESB
electrical stimulation of the brain
Reward pathway
the septal region that separates the cerebral hemispheres
Dopamine
NT, precursor of epinephrine (adrenaline)
Hull’s Drive-Reduction Theory
Suggests that reinforcers decrease drives, and that is where their value comes from
Drives
Innate motivational states; e.g., hunger
Premack’s Relative Value Theory
All behaviours have relative values and these values determine the reinforcing properties
Premack principle
high-probability behaviour reinforced low-probability behaviour
Response-deprivation Theory
Suggests that each behaviour has a baseline and when the baseline is not met, the individual will engage in behaviours to increase the desired behaviour.
Two-Process theory
negative reinforcement theory; pavlovian and operant learning
Sidman’s avoidance procedure
rats avoid shock by pushing a lever - two-process theory - there is no escape, so why does the rat press the lever? What reinforces it?
One-process theory
Operant learning avoidance theory
Thorndike studied animal learning as a way of measuring animal _____.
intelligence
According to Thorndike’s law of _____, the strength of a behaviour depends on its _____.
effect
consequences
Positive and negative reinforcement have this in common: Both _____ behaviour.
strengthen
The defining feature of primary reinforcers is that they are not dependent on_____.
learning
_____ refers to the likelihood that a reinforcer will follow a behaviour.
Contingency
In general, the more you increase the amount of a reinforcer, the _____ benefit you get from the increase.
less
A motivating operation is anything that change the effectiveness of a _____.
reinforcer
Positive reinforcement is associated with the release of _____ in the brain.
dopamine
According to the Premack principle, _____ behaviour reinforces _____ behaviour.
high-probability
low-probability
According to the response-deprivation theory, schoolchildren are eager to go to recess because they have been deprived of the opportunity to _____.
move
The two processes in the two-process theory are _____ and _____.
Pavlovian conditioning
Operant learning
Shaping
the reinforcement of successive approximations of a desired behaviour
Behaviour Chain
a sequence of behaviours that is connected
Chaining
teaching a behaviour through steps:
task anaylsis -> forward/backward chaining
Task analysis
The breakdown of a task into component elements
Forward chaining
reinforce performance of the first link in the chain. Repeat until task is performed without hesitation, then add another task.
Backward chaining
beginning with the final link in the chain and repeating until perfected. Then added the second to last (second to last -> last) until perfected. Repeat.
Problem
A situation where reinforcement is available but the necessary behaviour is not.
Superstitious behaviour
any behaviour that occurs repeatedly even without reinforcers to maintain it
Learned helplessness
learning to be helpless
Learned industriousness
learning to not quit
Shaping is the reinforcement of successive _____ of a desired behaviour.
approximations
What are parts of the chain known as brushing one’s teeth?
going to bathroom, getting toothbrush, getting tooth paste, applying toothpaste to tooth brush, wetting toothbrush, brushing teeth
How would you use backward chaining to train a rat to run a maze?
put reward at the end of the maze
release rat very close to end
after success, release slightly further from reward, repeat
Two forms of chaining are _____ and _____.
backward
forward
A problem is a situation in which _____ is available, but the behaviour necessary to produce it is not.
a reinforcer
Harlow’s data show that “insightful” solutions may be arrived at _____ as a result of a number of learning experiences.
gradually
The experiment by Epstein and colleagues demonstrated that insightful problem solving is largely a product of _____.
reinforcement/ reinforcement history
The idea of increasing creativity by means of reinforcement seems illogical at first because reinforcement _____ .
strengthens a behaviour that occurs
How could an auto manufacturer increase the creativity of its designers?
contingency between innovative designs and reinforcing consequences
e.g., time off or bonuses or royalties for original design
Superstitious behaviour by definition does not produce _____.
reinforcers to maintain it
Exposure to _____ aversives leads to learned helplessness.
inescapable
Learning industriousness is the opposite of _____ .
