Wk 5 - Operant theories Flashcards
Describe the nature of punishment and its limitations in terms of escape vs avoidance (x5)
It requires no possibility of avoidance/escape, otherwise animal will employ:
Escape learning - a response that terminates aversive consequence (neg reinforcement)
Avoidance learning - response that prevents aversive altogether
One-way avoidance - escape quickly becomes avoid (quicker with intense stim/different compartments)
Two-way - cues predict arrival of stimulus and escape to ‘other’ chamber (faster with weak stim/similar compartments
What is learned helplessness, and how does it relate to depression (x3)
It is reduced response to (perceived) uncontrollable outcome
Depression is the clinical extreme
Outcomes worse for attribution than reality (ie thinking you’re not very clever is worse than having a lower IQ)
How do psychs apply principles of behavioural therapy? (x3)
Use classical and operant conditioning principles with the aim of modifying situation inappropriate behaviours
Need to know what situations lead/don’t to the behaviour and learn how to modify response
ie do functional analysis
Three theories of reinforcement are…
Skinner’s operational definition: reinforcers increase/punishers decrease
Drive reduction: reinforcers maintain homeostasis
Premack’s Behaviour regulation: that they maintain behavioural homeostasis - the ‘bliss point’ of all good things met/bad avoided
Drive reduction theory is… (x3)
And issues of… (x3)
A theory of reinforcement
Reinforcers maintain physiological homeostasis - seek satisfaction/food to maintain it
Drives need to be satisfied, and stimulation needs to be reduced
Novel stimuli don’t fit the model – what about incentive reinforcers
Intra-cranial stimulation can override the drives
Issues of reinforcement that inc stimulation eg sky-diving/sensation seeking
Premack’s behaviour regulation theory is… (x2)
That is based on the (x1)
Eg (x1)
A theory of reinforcement
That behavioural homeostasis is desired - ‘Bliss point’ is all good things met, all bad avoided
Premack principle: there’s hierarchy of behaviours, arranged according to response probability – can use more desired to reinforce the less, eg reinforce running the wheel while dehydrated by rewarding it with drinking
Eg reward an hrs study with 5 mins FB (the more desired behaviour)
A treatment that involved putting the Premack Principle to work (x4)
Introducing new foods to 7yo who refused to eat all but a few
Low probability is the operant response – eating new food
High prob is eating his favourite
Reinforce small amounts of new with his favourites to increase variety
The two factor avoidance model in operant conditioning explains… (x2)
As shown in procedure involving… (x3)
Why avoidance continues in the absence of stimuli (which should otherwise result in extinction of response)
Acquisition, but not extinction or maintenance of behaviour
First, a learning of association with fear, CS with CR (fear) – something novel with something that has value (signal w shock)
Then, operant conditioning step: avoidance reduces fear; CR then R (operant response) = C- (no fear)
The absence of fear is negative reinforcer
Understanding avoidance theory is important in… (x2)
Understanding anxiety behaviours/phobias
You are never around situations that induce it, so can’t extinguish fear – perpetuates anxiety
Clinical avoidance reduction involves… (x5)
Exposure training: flooding + response prevention
Modelling of situationally appropriate behaviour
Engage in relaxation techniques perhaps
Reduce anxiety in sensu (in imagination): desensitisation is gradual, exposure is massed exposure
Or in vivo (real life): habituation is gradual, flooding is massed/immediate
Seligma’s 1967 paradigm looked at learned helplessness through…
In a procedure involving… (x5)
Finding… (x1)
The effect of unavoidable shock in dogs
Some experience escapable shock – pressing lever would stop it
Other ‘inescapable’ were yoked to the first dog – experienced what they did, but no control over it
No shock control group
Then train in shuttle box
Found those randomly shocked couldn’t learn to avoid: unless you physically moved them
Also had lower activity levels and norepinephrine, analgesia (opiate production), lower immunity, increased ulcers (stress)
Therefore, repeated inescapable punishment = learned helplessness
What is the purpose and method of functional analysis in operant conditioning? (x5)
With the benefit that it is… (x1)
Eg… (x1)
Establishes what reinforcers are maintaining an undesirable behaviour
Monitor the relationship between stimuli, behaviour, consequences
Divides complex behaviours into simpler, more manageable parts
Seeks contextually inappropriate behaviours – not right/wrong/medicalised
Very individualised (N = 1)
The self-injuring behaviour of 10yo boy: was often an escape behaviour – to stop doing something he didn’t like; so stopped it by rewarding an unliked task (completed without injury) with fun one
What are the five elements of a SORCK table in functional analysis/operant conditioning?
S – what happened before the behaviour
O – skills and state of organsism at the time
R – the behaviour
C – consequences of it
K – effect consequences have on future behaviours
What is the relationship between CBT and behavioural therapies?
Puts thinking back into the mix – change thoughts around behaviour
Much is based on operant conditioning, esp in treating anxiety
Focus on ‘thinking errors’ and ‘core beliefs’ – cognitive
Also using behavioural – practice exercises, homework
