Unit 3 Definitions

Question 1

Consequence

Answer 1

An event that follows and is produced by a response

Question 2

Antecedent

Answer 2

An event that precedes a behavior

Question 3

Reinforcement

Answer 3

A behavioral process in which a stimulus change follows a response and the future probability of such responding increases

Question 4

Reinforcer

Answer 4

A stimulus change that increases the future probability of responses that precede, and typically produce it

Question 5

Positive reinforcer

Answer 5

A reinforcer that involves adding something to the environment and serves as a reinforcer

Question 6

Negative reinforcer

Answer 6

A reinforcer that involves taking something away from the environment and serves as a reinforcer

Question 7

Unconditioned (unlearned) reinforcer

Answer 7

A stimulus change that serves as a reinforcer in the absence of a learning history

Question 8

Conditioned (learned) reinforcer

Answer 8

A stimulus change that serves as a reinforcer because of an individual’s learning history

Question 9

Motivating operation

Answer 9

An operation that modulates the reinforcing or punishing effectiveness of certain kinds of events and the likelihood of occurrence of operant responses relevant to those events

Question 10

Operant extinction

Answer 10

A procedure that reduces behavior by failing to reinforce a previously reinforced response

Question 11

Automaticity

Answer 11

Reinforcement works without the need for verbal mediation or awareness

Question 12

Automatic reinforcement

Answer 12

Reinforcement that does not require action by a person other than the one whose behavior is reinforced (e.g., the sensory consequences of scratching a mosquito bite reinforce the scratching)

Question 13

Socially mediated reinforcement

Answer 13

Reinforcement that requires action, such as presenting consequences, by a person other than the one whose behavior is reinforced (e.g., a parent attends to a child’s cursing and thereby reinforces cursing)

Question 14

Premack Principle

Answer 14

Providing opportunity to perform a higher-probability behavior will reinforce a lower-probability behavior. Requiring the performance of a lower-probability behavior will punish a higher-probability behavior

Question 15

Superstitious (adventitious) reinforcement

Answer 15

Reinforcement in which a form of responding is reinforced by a stimulus change that follows but is not produced by that form of responding

Question 16

Generalized conditioned reinforcer

Answer 16

Conditioned reinforcer that has been paired with a variety of other reinforcers

Question 17

Avoidance conditioning

Answer 17

Behavior is reinforced by preventing or delaying the presentation of an otherwise forthcoming stimulus

Question 18

Escape conditioning

Answer 18

Behavior is reinforced by terminating an ongoing stimulus