Chapter 11 Flashcards
Automatic Reinforcement
1st Instance: Determined by the absence of social mediation
2nd Instance: Assumed when a behavior persists in the absence of any known reinforcer
Automaticity of Reinforcement
The fact that a person does not have to understand or verbalize the relation between his or her actions and a reinforcing consequence, or for that matter even be aware that a consequence has occurred, for reinforcement to occur
Abolishing Operation
MO decreases the effectiveness of a reinforcer
Establishing Operation
Motivating operations take two forms, and MO increases the current effectiveness of a reinforcer is called an establishing operation.
Motivating Operation
Environmental variables that have two effects on behavior: (1) they alter the operant reinforcing effectiveness of some specific stimuli, objects, or events (the value-altering effect); and (2) they alter the momentary frequency of all behavior that has been reinforced by those stimuli, objects, or events (the behavior altering effect).
Discriminative Stimulus SD
Is an antecedent
stimulus correlated with the availability of reinforcement for a particular response class.
Positive Reinforcement
Occurs when a response is followed immediately by the presentation of a stimulus change that increases the future occurrence of similar responses.
Conditioned Reinforcer
A reinforcer that is the result of the learning history of the individual - previously neutral stimulus change that has acquired the capability to function as a reinforcer through stimulus-stimulus pairing with one or more unconditioned/conditioned reinforcers
Unconditioned Reinforcer
A reinforcer that is the product of the evolution of the species - a stimulus change that functions as reinforcement even though the learner has had no particular learning history with it; syn. unlearned reinforcer/primary reinforcer
Verbal Analog Conditioning
Neutral stimuli become conditioned reinforcers for humans without direct physical pairing with another reinforcer through a pairing process
Generalized Conditioned Reinforcer
Conditioned reinforcer that as a result of having been paired with many unconditioned and conditioned reinforcers does not depend on current EO for any particular form of reinforcement for its effectiveness
Pre-Mack Principal
Making the opportunity to engage in a behavior that occurs at a relatively high free operant (or baseline) rate contingent on the occurrence of low-frequency behavior will function as reinforcement for the low-occurrence behavior.
Stimulus Preference Assessment
Refers to a variety of procedures used to determine (a) the stimuli that the person differentially selects (b) the relative hierarchical preference value of those stimuli (high preference to low preference), (c) the conditions under which those preference values change when task demands, deprivation states, or schedules of reinforcement are modified, and (d) whether highly preferred items ultimately serve as effective reinforcers
Single-Stimulus (SS)
Across a series of trials, stimuli are presented one at a time. Approach responses (e.g., moving hand or body toward the item) are recorded. Preference hierarchies are established by calculating the percentage of approach responses per stimulus.
Paired-Stimulus
Across a series of trials, stimuli are presented two at a time, individuals can approach (i.e., select) only one item on a trial. Approach responses are recorded. Preference hierarchies are established by calculating the percentage of approach responses per stimulus.
Multiple-Stimulus-Without-Replacement
At the start of each session, multiple stimuli are placed in front of the individual, who can select one. Approach responses are recorded. The selected item is not replaced, and the positions of the remaining stimuli are changed. Then the individual selects from the remaining items. Continue in this manner until all items have been selected or the individual stops selecting items. Typically, several sessions are conducted. Preference hierarchies are established by calculating the percentage of approach responses per stimulus across all sessions.
Brief Free Operant
Multiple stimuli are placed on a tabletop, and participants are free to engage with any of the items for 5 min. Duration of engagement with each object is measured. Preference hierarchies are established by ranking items according to the duration of object manipulation for each stimulus.
Contrived Free Operant Observation
Practioners use contrived observation to determine whether, when, how, and the extent to which the person engages with each of a predetermined set of activities and materials. The observation is contrived because the researcher or practioner “salts” the environment with a variety of items that may be of interests to the learner.
Naturalistic Free Operant Observation
Conducted in the learner’s everyday environment. As unobtrusively as possible, the observer notes how the learner allocates his time and records the number of minutes the learner devotes to each activity.
Noncontingent reinforcement
NCR is the presentation of a potential reinforcer on a fixed-time or variable-time schedule independent of the occurrence of the target behavior.
Differential Reinforcement of Other Behavior
Delivers a potential reinforcer whenever the target behavior has not occurred during a set time interval or at a specific point in time
Differential Reinforcement of Alternative Behavior
Used as a control condition, the potential reinforcer is presented contingent on occurrences of a desirable alternative to the target behavior
