Variables Affecting Reinforcement Flashcards
-Contingency:
-the degree of correlation between a behavior and its consequence
Contiguity:
- nearness of events in time (temporal contiguity) or space (spatial contiguity)
- high contiguity often referred to as “pairing”
- Less contiguity (i.e., longer delays) between the operant response and the reinforcer, diminished the effectiveness of the reinforcer
- Well described by the “Hyperbolic Decay Function”
-Reinforcer magnitude
- generally, larger reinforcers are more reinforcing than smaller reinforcers
- relation between size and effectiveness in NOT linear
- Generally, the more you increase magnitude, the less benefit you get from the increase
- effectiveness of unconditional reinforcers tends to diminish quickly
-Specific reinforcer used
-e.g., Chocolate > Sunflower Seeds
- Motivating Operations
- Establishing operations
-an operation that increases the effectiveness of a reinforcer. (E.g., deprivation)
-Abolishing operation
-an operation that decreases the effectiveness of a reinforcer (e.g., satiation)
-Competing contingencies
-e.g., should I watch YouTube or study?
Premack Principle
- “of any two responses, the more probable response will reinforce the less probable one”
- Premack (1965, p. 132)
- i.e., High-probability behavior reinforces low probability behavior
- e.g., If a child prefers playing pinball to eating candy, you can reinforce eating candy by letting them play pinball each time the eat some candy
- Problems:
- doesn’t nicely account for conditional reinforcement effects
- low prob. behavior can reinforce high-prob. behavior when the organism has been deprived of the low prob. behavior
Schedules of Reinforcement
- a rule describing the delivery of reinforcement
- different schedules produce a unique schedule effect
- schedule effects – pattern and rate of behavior over time
- over the long-term effects are very predictable
- occur in numerous species (humans included)
-Continuous reinforcement (CRF) schedule
- behavior is reinforced each time it occurs
- Rate of behavior increases rapidly
- useful when shaping a new behavior
- rare in the natural environment
-Intermittent reinforcement schedule
- many different types
- 4 main:
- Fixed ratio (FR)
- Variable-ratio (VR)
- Fixed-interval (FI)
- Variable-interval (VI)
-Fixed-Ratio Schedule
- behavior is reinforced after a fixed number of times
- e.g., FR – 120 (has top peck 120 times to receive reinforcer)
- generates Post-Reinforcement Pause (PRP):
- pausing typically increases with ratio size and reinforce magnitude
- generates steady run rates following the PRP
-Variable Ratio Schedule
- ratio-requirement varies around an average
- PRPs are rare and very short
- influenced by the lowest ratio and/or the average ratio
- produces higher rates than a comparable Fixed-ratio
- common in natural environment
-Random-Ratio
- schedule is controlled by a random number generator
- produces similarly high rates of responding
- type of ratio used in casino games and video games
-Progressive-ratio
- ratio requirements move from small to large
- E.g., 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6…
- PRPs increase with ratio size
- creates a “break-point” measure of how hard an organism will work
-Fixed-Interval Schedule
- behavior is reinforced with it occurs after a given period
- e.g., FI-4 min
- produces PRPs
- responding increases gradually producing a scallop shape
- uncommon in natural environments
-Variable Interval Schedule
- interval varies around an average
- e.g., VI-3 min
- PRPs are rare and short
- Steady rates of responding
- not as high as VR
- Common in natural environments
-Fixed/Variable Duration
- reinforcer is contingent on continuous performance for a period
- e.g., practicing guitar for 30 min
- Many people use these schedules but provide no reinforcer
Operant Extinction
-Extinction
-the procedure of withholding reinforcers that maintain a behavior
-Spontaneous recovery
- the tendency for extinguished behavior to occur again in situations like those it had previously been reinforced
- repeated sessions of extinction (usually in multiple settings) are required to prevent spontaneous recovery
-Reinstatement
-recovery of an extinguished behavior when the reinforcer is presented alone
-Extinction Burst
- a temporary increase in the reinforced behavior
- increases occurs for dimension of behavior that was reinforced (e.g., duration, frequency, force)
- occurs when reinforcement is initially withdrawn
-Increase in Operant Variability
-greater likelihood of reinstating reinforcement or contacting other sources of reinforcement
-Emotional Responses
-people can react poorly when something doesn’t work like it should (vending machine)
Resistance to Extinction
-Partial reinforcement Effect (PRE)
- schedules that reinforce more intermittently take longer to extinguish than schedules that reinforce less intermittently
- driven in large part by contact with the contingencies
- e.g., FR-100 vs CRF
- when put onto extinction 100 responses need to be made before the organism on FR100 has contacted the extinction contingency once. Compare to a CRF where contact to extinction is immediate
Final Note About Extinction
- extinction is new learning (not forgetting)
- spontaneous recovery and reinstatement effects show that original learning is still present
