Chapter 6a 6.2 Conditioning Flashcards
continuous reinforcement
A pattern by which a behavior is reinforced every time it occurs.
discriminative stimulus
A signal indicating that a particular behavior will be followed by a particular consequence.
fixed-interval schedule
A reinforcement schedule in which a behavior can be reinforced after a time interval that is consistent and predictable.
fixed-ratio schedule
A reinforcement schedule in which a behavior is reinforced after a consistent, predictable number of occurrences.
law of effect
The observation that a behavior is more likely to be repeated if its effects are desirable but less likely to be repeated if its effects are undesirable.
negative reinforcement
A type of reinforcement that involves removing something undesirable.
operant conditioning
A form of learning in which the consequences of a voluntary behavior affect the likelihood that the behavior will recur.
partial reinforcement
(intermittent reinforcement) a pattern by which a behavior is reinforced only some of the times it occurs.
positive reinforcement
A type of reinforcement that involves getting something desirable.
primary reinforcer
An innate reinforcer that requires no learning to have a reinforcing effect because it satisfies a biological need.
punishment
Any consequence of a behavior that makes that behavior less likely to recur.
reinforcement
Any consequence of a behavior that makes that behavior more likely to recur.
reinforcement schedule
A pattern by which reinforcements occur in response to a particular behavior.
secondary reinforcement
A reinforcer that requires a learned link to a primary reinforcer to have a reinforcing effect
shaping
The process of gradually learning a complex behavior through the reinforcement of each small step that is a part of the complex behavior.
