Week 2 - Schedules Of Reinforcement/Extinction

Question 1

What is a schedule of reinforcement?

Answer 1

• rule about delivery
• different schedules = different effects
• long term effects = predictable
• occur in numerous species

Question 2

Frequency VS cumulative frequency

Answer 2

Frequency: how often something occurs
- more inconsistent hard to plot data in a line

Cumulative frequency: total of a frequency and all of the frequency scorches beneath it
- easier to find slope line and line of best fit

Question 3

What is continuous reinforcement schedule?

Answer 3

• Behaviour is reinforced EACH TIME it occurs
• Rate of behaviour INCREASES RAPIDLY
• RARE in NATURAL environment

Question 4

What is intermittent reinforcement schedule?

Answer 4

• Many different types
• 4 MAIN:
  1) (FR) fixed-ratio
  2) (VR) variable-ratio
  3) (FI) fixed-interval
  4) (VI) variable interval

Question 5

What is a fixed-ratio schedule?

Answer 5

• A SPECIFIC/FIXED number of responses must occur BEFORE the reinforcer is delivered
• Generates (PRP’s) post-reinforcement pause
• Steady run rates after the PRPs
• Common in academic/work settings to maintain appropriate behaviour

Question 6

What is a variable-ratio schedule?

Answer 6

• Reinforcer is delivered AFTER an AVERAGE of “x” responses
• Ratio requirement VARIES around an AVERAGE
• PRP’s are RARE or short
• Produces higher rates of responding compared to fixed-ratio
• Common in NATURAL environments

Question 7

What are the two variations of variable-ratio schedules?

Answer 7

1) RANDOM-RATIO
-controlled by a random # generator
-high rates of response
-used in casino and video games

2) PROGRESSIVE RATIO
-ratio moves from small - large
- PRP’s increase w/ ratio size
- how hard will organism work?

Question 8

What is a fixed-interval schedule?

Answer 8

• A reinforcer is delivered for the FIRST response AFTER an FIXED INTERVAL of time has ELAPSED
• Produces PRP’s
• Responding increases gradually produce “scallop” shape
• Uncommon in natural environments

Question 9

What is variable interval schedule?

Answer 9

• The reinforcer is delivered for the FIRST response that occurs AFTER an VARIABLE INTERVAL of time has ELAPSED
• DIFFERENCE IS EACH INTERVAL IS A DIFFERENT LENGTH
• PRP’s are rare and short
• Steady rates of responding (not as high as VR)
• Common in natural environments

Question 10

What is a fixed-variable duration?

Answer 10

• Reinforcer is contingent on continuous performative for a period of time

Question 11

What is operant extinction?

Answer 11

The procedure of withholding reinforcers that maintain a behaviour

Question 12

What is spontaneous recovery?

Answer 12

Tendency for behaviour to occur again in situations similar to those it had been reinforced

Repeated sessions of extinction are needed to prevent this

Question 13

What is reinstatement?

Answer 13

Recovery of a behaviour when the REINFORCER is presented ALONE

Question 14

What is an extinction burst?

Answer 14

A temporary increase in the reinforced behaviour

Increase occurs for the specific dimension that was reinforced

Occurs when reinforcement is initially withdrawn

Question 15

What’s a way to resist extinction?

Answer 15

Partial reinforcement effect (PRE)
- When you reinforce more interimittmently takes longer to extinguish
- Contingencies

Question 16

What is concurrent schedules of reinforcement?

Answer 16

ALL of the schedules of reinforcement that are IN EFFECT for a persons behaviour AT ONE TIME

(The number of different behaviours/response options that are concurrent available for the person)

Question 17

What are the response options called in concurrent schedules of reinforcement?

Answer 17

Concurrent operants

Question 18

What 4 factors that influence the response options a person will choose?

Answer 18

1) schedule of reinforcement

2) magnitude of reinforcement

3) immediacy of reinforcement

4) response EFFORT for these response options ^^

Question 19

Why do we use animals?

Answer 19

• Influence of heredity
• control influence of learning
• practicality
• need to apply procedures that would be considered unethical with humans
  • #3. Nuremberg Code
  • The experiment should be so designed and based on the results of animal experimentation and a knowledge of the natural history of the disease or other problem under study, that the anticipated results will justify the performance of the experiment.