Variables Affecting Reinforcement

Question 1

-Contingency:

Answer 1

-the degree of correlation between a behavior and its consequence

Question 2

Contiguity:

Answer 2

• 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”

Question 3

-Reinforcer magnitude

Answer 3

• 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

Question 4

-Specific reinforcer used

Answer 4

-e.g., Chocolate > Sunflower Seeds

Question 5

• Motivating Operations

- Establishing operations

Answer 5

-an operation that increases the effectiveness of a reinforcer. (E.g., deprivation)

Question 6

-Abolishing operation

Answer 6

-an operation that decreases the effectiveness of a reinforcer (e.g., satiation)

Question 7

-Competing contingencies

Answer 7

-e.g., should I watch YouTube or study?

Question 8

Premack Principle

Answer 8

• “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

Question 9

Schedules of Reinforcement

Answer 9

• 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)

Question 10

-Continuous reinforcement (CRF) schedule

Answer 10

• behavior is reinforced each time it occurs
• Rate of behavior increases rapidly
• useful when shaping a new behavior
• rare in the natural environment

Question 11

-Intermittent reinforcement schedule

Answer 11

• many different types
• 4 main:
• Fixed ratio (FR)
• Variable-ratio (VR)
• Fixed-interval (FI)
• Variable-interval (VI)

Question 12

-Fixed-Ratio Schedule

Answer 12

• 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

Question 13

-Variable Ratio Schedule

Answer 13

• 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

Question 14

-Random-Ratio

Answer 14

• schedule is controlled by a random number generator
• produces similarly high rates of responding
• type of ratio used in casino games and video games

Question 15

-Progressive-ratio

Answer 15

• 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

Question 16

-Fixed-Interval Schedule

Answer 16

• 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

Question 17

-Variable Interval Schedule

Answer 17

• 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

Question 18

-Fixed/Variable Duration

Answer 18

• 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

Question 19

Operant Extinction

-Extinction

Answer 19

-the procedure of withholding reinforcers that maintain a behavior

Question 20

-Spontaneous recovery

Answer 20

• 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

Question 21

-Reinstatement

Answer 21

-recovery of an extinguished behavior when the reinforcer is presented alone

Question 22

-Extinction Burst

Answer 22

• 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

Question 23

-Increase in Operant Variability

Answer 23

-greater likelihood of reinstating reinforcement or contacting other sources of reinforcement

Question 24

-Emotional Responses

Answer 24

-people can react poorly when something doesn’t work like it should (vending machine)

Question 25

Resistance to Extinction

-Partial reinforcement Effect (PRE)

Answer 25

• 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

Question 26

Final Note About Extinction

Answer 26

• extinction is new learning (not forgetting)

- spontaneous recovery and reinstatement effects show that original learning is still present