Operant Behavior and Reinforcement: A Comprehensive Study, Quizzes of Psychology

Download Operant Behavior and Reinforcement: A Comprehensive Study and more Quizzes Psychology in PDF only on Docsity! TERM 1 Operant Behavior DEFINITION 1 - Behavior that is modified by the consequences of that behavior - Distinguished from respondent behavior (which is insensitive to consequences) - Model of "behavioral evolution" (operates during the life of the organism) Book: a behavior is strengthened through reinforcement TERM 2 E.L. Thorndike DEFINITION 2 - Used puzzle boxes with cats & studied the latency to escape - developed the empirical law of effect * annoyers--any behavior that resulted in the cat not recieving food was an annoyer * Satisfiers--any behavior in which cat recieves food TERM 3 B. F. Skinner DEFINITION 3 - Studied "free behavior" - Expanded & redefined law of effect - Recommended these terms: * Operant - behavior which operates on ones environment (as opposed to respondent which just reacts to environment) * Reinforcement - to strengthen TERM 4 ****Reinforcement**** DEFINITION 4 1. a particular behavior occurs 2. this behavior produces/results in a change in the organism's environment 3. as a result of that change this behavior is more often to occur again in the future. Book: the process in which a behavior is strengthened by the immediate consequence that reliably follows its occurrence. When the behavior is strengthened it's more likely to occur again in the future. TERM 5 Positive Reinforcement DEFINITION 5 refers to the production or addition of something in the environment that causes a particular behavior to occur more often in the future. Book: 1. the occurrence of a behavior 2. is followed by the addition of a stimulus (reinforcer) or an increase in the intensity of a stimulus 3. which results in the strengthening of the behavior TERM 6 Negative Reinforcement DEFINITION 6 refers to the removal or subtraction of something in the environment which causes a particular behavior to occur more often in the future. Book: 1. the occurrence of a behavior 2. is followed by the removal of a stimulus (adverse stimulus) or a decrease in the intensity of a stimulus 3. which results in the strengthening of behavior TERM 7 Social Reinforcement DEFINITION 7 when reinforcers are mediated, or delivered, by another person --ex: praise, delivering food, turning the volume down TERM 8 Automatic Reinforcement DEFINITION 8 when reinforcement is not mediated by another individual; results as an automatic consequence to the behavior --ex: pressing a button = plays music --ex: pressing on your temples results in a mitigation of your headache, so you pres on your temples more often TERM 9 Types of Negative Reinforcement (2) DEFINITION 9 1. Escape 2. Avoidance TERM 10 Escape DEFINITION 10 (a type of negative reinforcement) The termination of an aversive stimulus that is present contingent upon the occurrence of a behavior --Ex: taking acetaminophen to make the pain stop; pressing the alarm clock button terminates the alarm TERM 21 Schedule of Reinforcement DEFINITION 21 a particular behavior specifies whether every response is followed by a reinforcer or if only some responses are followed by a reinforcer. Continuous (CRF) vs. Intermittent Reinforcement TERM 22 Continuous Reinforcement Schedule (CRF) DEFINITION 22 each occerrence of a response is reinforced TERM 23 Intermittent Reinforcement Schedule (4) DEFINITION 23 each occurrence of the response is not reinforced, rather responses are occasionally or intermittently reinforced. TERM 24 Intermittent Reinforcement Schedule Types (4) DEFINITION 24 1. Fixed Ratio (FR) 2. Variable Interval (VR) 3. Fixed Interval (FI) 4. Fixed Ratio (FR) TERM 25 Fixed Ratio Schedule (FR) DEFINITION 25 Reinforcement is delivered after a fixed # of responses --FR 5 = every 5th response results in reinforcement Characterized by: - bursts of responding followed by short pauses - fast running rate - creates a "stair-step" pattern TERM 26 Variable Ratio Schedule DEFINITION 26 Reinforcement is delivered after a variable # of responses - defined by the average # of responses required to produce reinforcement - ex: VR 5 = ~ every 5th response=reinforcement (average) Characterized by: - continuous high rates of responding (steepest!) - very little pausing - highest response rates relative to # of reinforcers delivered TERM 27 Fixed Interval Schedule DEFINITION 27 Reinforcement of 1st response after a given period of time - EX: FI 1 = 1 min schedule would involve reinforcement of 1st response after 1 minute Characterized by: - pauses with gradual acceleration to peak rates - Creates a scalloped pattern TERM 28 Variable Interval Schedule DEFINITION 28 Reinforcement of 1st response after a period of time defined by a mean interval. - Ex: VI 1 = 1 min schedule would involve reinforcement of 1st response after 20s, 80s, 90s, 10s, 60s, overall average = 1 min/60 secs Characterized by: - steady response rates with very little pausing - popular in research due to its stability - lower rates than comparable VR (less steep than VR)