Unit 4 Flashcards
The Law of Effect
Organisms learn through the consequences of their actions
Edward Lee Thorndike
Discovered The Law of Effect
Operant Behavior
Behavior that has an effect on the environment and is primarily under the control of its consequences
Consequences in operant behavior
Have a strengthening or weakening effect on the future probability of the behavior under similar conditions
Operant selection
The ability to learn through consequences, which results in new behavior and changes in dimensions of behavior
Process of operant selection
Behavioral variability, selection by consequences, and behavioral reproduction occurs throughout the organism’s lifetime.
Simplest type of operant contingency
R-S (Response-Stimulus)
Basic 3-term contingency
S-R-S, more popularly stated as A-B-C (antecedent-behavior-consequence)
2 general types of consequences
Reinforcement and Punishment
SR+
Unconditioned Positive Reinforcement
Sr+
Conditioned Positive Reinforcement
SR-
Unconditioned Negative Reinforcement
Sr-
Conditioned Negative Reinforcement
SP+
Unconditioned Positive Punishment
Sp+
Conditioned Positive Punishment
SP-
Unconditioned Negative Punishment
Sp-
Conditioned Negative Punishment
Extinction (from reinforcement) and Recovery (from punishment)
Two other types of consequences that consist of withholding previous consequences
Extinction
Discontinuing reinforcement of a previously reinforced behavior
Reinforcement
An environmental change that follows a response and increases or maintains the future frequency of that behavior
5 Critical attributes of reinforcement
Environmental change must occur after the response, must occur immediately after the response, contingent upon the response, must increase or maintain future responding, automaticity