7.3 - Operant conditioning: Reinforcements from the Environment

Question 1

Operant

Answer 1

Learning in which the consequences of an organisms behavior determine whether the behavior will be repeated in the future (active behaviors)

Question 2

Instrumental behaviors

Answer 2

Behaviors that require that require an organism to do something, solve a problem, manipulate elements of the environment

Question 3

Law of effect

Answer 3

Behaviors followed by a satisfying state of affairs tend to be repeated; those that produce an unpleasant state of affairs are less likely to be repeated

Question 4

Operant behavior

Answer 4

Behavior that an organism performs that has an impact on the environment
- environment responds by providing events that strengthen the behaviors (reinforce) or makes them less likely to occur (punis)

Question 5

Reinforcer

Answer 5

Any stimulus or event that increases the likelihood of the behavior that led to it

Question 6

Punisher

Answer 6

any stimulus or event that decreases the likelihood of the behavior that led to it

Question 7

Positive vs negative

Answer 7

Does not mean good vs bad

Question 8

positive reinforcements

Answer 8

stimulus is presented; increases likelihood of behavior

Question 9

Negative reinforcements

Answer 9

stimulus is removed; increases likelihood of behaviors

Question 10

Positive punishment

Answer 10

Stimulus is administered; decreases likelihood of behavior

Question 11

Negative punishment

Answer 11

Stimulus is removed; decreases likelihood of behavior

Question 12

If I present food and a behavior continues this is…

Answer 12

positive reinforcement

Question 13

2) If I turn on an electric shock and the behavior stops

Answer 13

this is positive punishment

Question 14

3) If I turn off an electric shock and the behavior continues this

Answer 14

negative reinforcements

Question 15

4) If I remove food and a behavior stops this is ….

Answer 15

Negative punishments

Question 16

Why is reinforcement better than punishment in learning desired behavior

Answer 16

Punishment signals bad behavior but does not promote learning about the desired behavior

Question 17

Primary reinforcer

Answer 17

Satisfy biological needs

Question 18

Secondary reinforcers

Answer 18

Associated with primary reinforces through CO; e.g. money, police lights

Question 19

Effectiveness of the reinforcer or punisher

Answer 19

• The amount of time between the occurrence of a behavior and the reinforcer/punisher; the more time that passes, the less effective the reinforcer/punisher

Question 20

Learning takes place in contexts Three-term contingency

Answer 20

In the presence of a discriminative stimulus (e.g. classmates in a Starbucks drinking coffee), a response (e.g. joking comments about prof) produces a reinforcer (e.g. laughter among classmates)

Question 21

What about extinction

Answer 21

Different than in a classical conditioning because it depends on how often reinforcement is received

Question 22

Schedules of reinforcements are important

Answer 22

Interval schedules: time interval between reinforcements
Ratio schedules: Ratio of responses to reinforcements

Question 23

Fixed-Interval

Answer 23

Reinforcers presented at fixed-time periods if appropriate response has been given; e.g. every 2 minutes; studying only right before exam

Question 24

Variable-Interval

Answer 24

Behavior is reinforced based on the average amount of time since last reinforcement; e.g. average out to winning once an hour, but not the same time within each hour

Question 25

Fixed ratio

Answer 25

Reinforcement is delivered after a specific number of responses has been made; e.g. every 20th response

Question 26

Variable ratio

Answer 26

Delivery of responses is based on an average number of responses; e.g. slot machines - pay out every 100 pulls on average, but could be on the 3rd pull or the 80th pull

Question 27

Continuous reinforcement

Answer 27

Reinforcement after each response

Question 28

Intermittent reinforcement

Answer 28

Only some of the responses are followed by a reinforcement

Question 29

Intermittent reinforcement effect

Answer 29

Intermittently-reinforced behaviors are more resistant to extinction; e.g. a slot machine

Question 30

Shaping

Answer 30

Learning that results from the reinforcement of little steps to the final desired behavior; rewarding successive approximation