Unit 3; Instrumental Conditioning

Question 1

What is instrumental / operant conditioning

Answer 1

Learning a contingency between a behaviour and a consequence

Question 2

What does operant mean

Answer 2

You operate the environment and directly produce the effect through your voluntary behaviour

Question 3

What is the Law of Effect

Answer 3

Desirable behaviours stamped in with a positive consequence = increase in frequency

And vice-versa

Question 4

What is a reinforcer

Answer 4

Stimulus presented after a response that impacts frequency

Question 5

What is a primary reinforcer

Answer 5

A reinforcer with intrinsic (not taught) value

ex. food, water

Question 6

What is a secondary reinforcer

Answer 6

A reinforcer with learned value

ex. money, a toy

Question 7

Two training types that increase behavior

Answer 7

Reward (present positive reinforcer)
Escape (remove negative reinforcer)

Question 8

Two training types that decrease behavior

Answer 8

Punishment (present negative reinforcer)
Omission (remove positive reinforcer)

Question 9

When to present consequence

Answer 9

Immediately following behaviour

Question 10

What is successive approximation and when to use this method

Answer 10

Learning gradually as you get closer and closer to the desired behaviour

• For complex behaviours (ex. animal trick training)

Question 11

What is chaining and when to use this method

Answer 11

Each behavioyr is reinforced wth the opportunity to perform the next behaviour

• For a very complex sequence of behaviours (ex. a routine of tricks, learning the alphabet)

Question 12

What is the difference between shaping through successive approximation vs. chaining

Answer 12

With shaping: rewarded for improvement
With chaining: rewarded for correct order

Question 13

What is an SD / S+

remember sd = signals ___

Answer 13

It is a discriminatory stimulus that signals the contingent relationship IS valid

ex. you will be rewarded for eating veggies only when mom (SD) is here or only at grandma’s house (SD)

Question 14

What are the 4 schedules for reinforcement

Answer 14

Fixed ratio
Fixed interval
Variable ratio
Variable interval

Question 15

What are the graphs for the 4 schedules of reinforcement

Answer 15

Fixed ratio:
Steps -> due to post-reinforcement pause
(think rAE sho /***)

Fixed interval:
Scalloped
(think V = uuuuuu the shape of a scallop)

Other two use standard line
Slope = frequency of response rate

Question 16

What is an S-delta / S-

Answer 16

It is a stimulus that signals the contingent relationship is NOT valid

ex. not rewarded for eating veggies at school (S-)

Question 17

What is the difference between a CS+ and a SD/S+

Answer 17

CS+: elicits reflexive, involuntary response

SD/S+: sets the occasion for a VOLUNTARY response = what could happen

Question 18

Why might trainers use a partial reinforcement instead of continuous reinforcement

Answer 18

less expectation for reward = keep performing behaviour = less prone to extinction

Question 19

What is the overjustification effect

Answer 19

When rewarded for a previously unrewarded task, you lose motivation to do it when not rewarded

ex. baking for fun -> baking as a job -> less baking at home

Question 20

What is ratio strain

Answer 20

If reward isn’t given often enough or isn’t valuable enough it won’t be worth the effort and won’t affect the frequency of behaviour

Question 21

What is a mirror neuron

Answer 21

A cell that responds the same way when performing an action vs. watching someone else do it