Week 2 - Reinforcement Flashcards
“Reinforce” means to increase or decrease behaviour?
INCREASE behaviour
What do reinforcing consequences do?
INCREASE in: duration, frequency, intensity, quickness and variability
When you add a stimulus it’s…..?
POSITIVE (+) reinforcement
When you remove a stimulus its……..?
NEGATIVE (-) reinforcement
Reward does “____” EQUAL a reinforcer
Not
What is reinforcement not?
NOT a theory
NOT circular
-consequence reinforced the response
IT IS a functional description
What is a unconditional (primary) reinforcer?
Properties function of species evolutionary history
Ex) food, water, sex, social interaction etc…
Often species specific
What is a conditional (secondary) reinforcer?
Otherwise NEUTRAL stimuli acquired ability to reinforce due to a CONTINGENT relationship with other UNCONDITIONAL reinforcers
What is contingency?
(Factors that affect reinforcement)
Degree of CORRELATION b/w a behaviour and its consequence
What is contiguity?
(Factors that affect reinforcement)
Nearness of events in time or space
LESS contiguity (longer delays) DIMINISHES effectiveness of the reinforcer
What is reinforcer magnitude?
(Factors that affect reinforcement)
Generally larger reinforcers are more reinforcing than smaller reinforces
What are some more variables that affect reinforcement?
- specific reinforcer used
- task characteristics (individual differences)
- motivating operations - increase effectiveness
- abolishing operations - decrease effectiveness
What is competing contingencies of reinforcement?
Ex) should I watch Netflix or study?
Choice b/w allocation of time among two or more activities
What is the premack principle?
LOW probability can REINFORCE HIGH probability behaviour when the organism have DEPRIVED of the low probability behaviour
It is “___________” to say that you reinforce a behaviour (or response)
It is “___________” to say that you reinforce a person
Correct
Ex) “The teacher reinforced standing in line quietly with praise” is correct
Incorrect
Ex) “The teacher reinforced Sarah for standing in line quietly” is not correct
What is an aversive stimulus?
Is this term used in positive or negative reinforcement?
It’s the stimulus that is REMOVED or AVOIDED after the behaviour
Often seen as unpleasant, painful or annoying that a person wants to avoid
Used in NEGATIVE reinforcement
What is social reinforcement?
Give a positive and negative reinforcement example?
When a behaviour produces a reinforcing consequence through the ACTIONS of another PERSON
Can be positive or negative reinforcement
(+) Ex) when your roommate BRINGS YOU chips when you ask, therefore you are more likely to ask again
(-) Ex) when you ask your roommate to TURN DOWN the tv, they do it, therefore you are more likely to ask again when the tv is too loud
What is automatic reinforcement?
Give a positive and negative reinforcement example
When the behavior produces a reinforcing consequence through DIRECT CONTACT with the PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT
(+) Ex) If you went to the kitchen and GOT CHIPS for yourself
(-) Ex) If you got the remote and TURNED DOWN the tv for yourself
What is the difference between escape and avoidance behaviour?
What’s TYPES of reinforcement are they, (+) or (-)?
Escape:
The behaviour results in TERMINATION of an aversive stimulus that was PRESENT when the behaviour occurred
Avoidance:
The behaviour PREVENTS an aversive stimulus from occurring in the FIRST PLACE
Conditioned reinforcers continue to be reinforcers even if they aren’t paired with another reinforcer
TRUE or FALSE
Explain why
FALSE
They only continue to be reinforcers IF they are at LEAST OCCASIONALLY paired with other reinforcers
What is a backup reinforcer?
Used in a token economy
Client exchanges tokens for DESIRABLE behaviours
Client exchanges tokens for any variety of BACKUP reinforcers
What is a generalized conditioned reinforcer?
When a CONDITIONED reinforcer is paired with a WIDE VARIETY of other reinforcers
What is immediacy?
(Factors that affect reinforcement)
The TIME BETWEEN occurrence of the behaviour and the reinforcing consequence
