Week 8: Extinction and Stimulus Control

Question 1

Extinction

Answer 1

The nonreinforcement of a previously reinforced response, resulting in a decrease in strength of that response.

Question 2

Side effects of Extinction

Answer 2

Extinction burst, increase in variability, emotional behaviour, aggression, resurgence, depression.

Question 3

Extinction Burst

Answer 3

A temporary increase in frequency and intensity of responding when extinction is first implemented.

Question 4

Resurgence

Answer 4

The reappearance during extinction of other behaviours that had once been effective in obtaining reinforcement.

Question 5

Resistance to Extinction

Answer 5

The extent to which responding persists after an extinction procedure has been implemented.

Question 6

What factors influence resistance to extinction?

Answer 6

Schedule of reinforcement, history of reinforcement, the magnitude of reinforcement, degree of deprivation, previous experience with extinction.

Question 7

Partial Reinforcement Effect

Answer 7

Behaviour that has been maintained on an intermittent schedule of reinforcement will extinguish more slowly than when maintained on a continuous schedule. VR is the slowest to extinguish.

Question 8

Spontaneous Recovery

Answer 8

The reappearance of an extinguished response following a rest period after extinction.

Question 9

Differential Reinforcement of Other Behaviour

Answer 9

The reinforcement of any behaviour other than the target behaviour being extinguished. Effective, and will reduce or eliminate potential side effects.

Question 10

Functional Communication Training

Answer 10

Behaviour of clearly and appropriately communicating one’s desire is differentially reinforced.

Question 11

Stimulus Control

Answer 11

The presence of the discriminative stimulus reliably affects the probability of the behaviour.

Question 12

Stimulus Generalization

Answer 12

The tendency for an operant response to be emitted in the presence of a stimulus that is similar to a SD.

Question 13

Generalization Gradient

Answer 13

Depicts the strength of responding in the presence of stimuli that are similar to the SD, and vary along a continuum.

Question 14

Stimulus Discrimination

Answer 14

The tendency for an operant response to be emitted more in the presence of one stimulus than another.

Question 15

Discrimination Training

Answer 15

Involves reinforcement of responding in the presence of one stimulus (SD), and not another stimulus (Discriminative stimulus for extinction).

Question 16

The Peak Shift Effect

Answer 16

The peak of a generalization gradient following discrimination training will shift from SD to a stimulus that is further removed from the SE.

Question 17

Multiple Schedules

Answer 17

Two or more independent schedules presented in sequence, each resulting in reinforcement, and each having a distinctive discriminant stimulus.

Question 18

Behavioural Contrast

Answer 18

Occurs when a change in the rate of reinforcement on one component of a multiple schedule produces an opposite change in the rate of response on another component.

Question 19

Negative Contrast

Answer 19

Increase in rate of reinforcement of one component, results in the decrease in rate of response for another component.

Question 20

Positive Contrast

Answer 20

A decrease in rate of reinforcement of one component results in the increase in rate of response for another component.

Question 21

Anticipatory Contrast

Answer 21

The rate of response varies inversely with an upcoming change in the rate of reinforcement.

Question 22

Errorless Discrimination Training

Answer 22

A gradual training procedure that minimizes the number of errors and reduces the many adverse effects associated with discrimination training.
Introduce SE soon after learning SD, introduce SE weakly and gradually increase strength.
Poor for wanting to modify at a later time.

Question 23

Fading

Answer 23

Gradually altering the intensity of a stimulus.

Question 24

Targeting

Answer 24

Training an animal to approach and touch a particular object.