Exam 3 (part one)

Question 1

Behavior is affected by consequences

Answer 1

any event that follows a behavior that can have an effect on that behavior

• B (behavior) ® C (consequence)

Question 2

Positive reinforcement

Answer 2

stimulus added, behavior increases

• Used much less than other three

Question 3

Negative reinforcement

Answer 3

stimulus removed, behavior increases

Question 4

Positive punishment

Answer 4

stimulus added, behavior decreases

Question 5

Negative punishment

Answer 5

stimulus removed, behavior increases

Question 6

Antecedents

Answer 6

(a “cue” that consequence is available)

• A (antecedent) – B (behavior) ® C (consequence)
• Ex: A (phone vibrates) – B (check phone) ® C (text message)
• The consequence causes the behavior to occur, NOT the antecedent

Question 7

Classical vs. operant conditioning

Answer 7

• Classical conditioning: stimulus – stimulus pairings (NS – US)
• Operant conditioning: response – stimulus (consequence) pairings (R ® S)

Question 8

Edward L. Thorndike

Answer 8

– introduced concept of operant conditioning

• Wanted to know whether learning occurs through insight or trial and error
• Insight = “aha moment”
• Learning happens quickly and to the fullest extent
• The thing that ultimately impacts our behavior is not what happens before, but what happens after

Question 9

Law of effect

Answer 9

– a behavior that leads to desirable outcome is more likely to be repeated; a behavior that leads to undesirable outcome is less likely to be repeated

Question 10

B.F. Skinner

Answer 10

• Influenced by Thorndike
• Unlike Thorndike, did not like the subjective explanations for behavior (e.g., desirable and annoying)
• What happens to behavior?
• Behavior that increases = reinforced
• Behavior that decreases = punished

Question 11

Operant behavior or “operant”

Answer 11

• Change in behavior because of consequences
• Behavior that operates on the environment
• Behavior produces a change in the environment by either producing or removing a consequence

Question 12

Three-term contingency (three related components)

Answer 12

• R (response, behavior, operant)
• Operant is emitted (not elicited) – voluntary response

Question 13

Three-term contingency (three related components)

Answer 13

• Consequences
• Follow behavior
• Most important component
• R ® SR (reinforcing stimulus)
• R ® SP (punishing stimulus)

Question 14

Three-term contingency (three related components)

Answer 14

• Antecedents – events/cues that happen before the behavior
• SD – R ® SR or SP

Question 15

• SD = discriminative stimulus

Answer 15

• Allows us to discriminate/determine whether our behavior is likely to be followed by a reinforcer or punisher
• SD – R ® (nothing)
• Discriminative stimuli (context)
• The antecedents are part of our environment/context
• Discriminative stimuli do not cause behavior; they “set the occasion” (provide an opportunity) for behavior

Question 16

Extinction – absence of a consequence

Answer 16

• R ® nothing changes (from before to after)
• Extinction burst
• When you first start to use extinction on a previously reinforced behavior, you get an increase in behavior before it goes away

Question 17

Operant conditioning – Q. 8 (Prep guide #7)

Answer 17

• Which is better: reinforcement or punishment?
• Scientists say reinforcement
• Punishment has a lot of unwanted side effects
• Often produces unwanted emotional responses for person being punished
• Often produces aggressive responses
• Doesn’t tell you what the correct behavior to do is
• If someone is delivering the punishment, they become associated with the punishment
• Punishment is aversive, so the person who delivers it will also become aversive (want to avoid aversive stimuli)

Question 18

Why so much punishment?

Answer 18

• Other person’s R (kid writes on walls)
• R (kid writes on walls) ® SP (you yell at them)
• R (your yelling) ® SR (stops kid writing on walls)
• Negative = kid writing on the walls decreases/stops
• Reinforcement = more likely to yell at kid
• Just because you are knowledgeable about this, doesn’t mean that it doesn’t affect you
• Other person’s R (student asks question in class)
• R (student asks question) ® SP (professor rolls eyes)
• R (professor rolls eyes) ® SR (removes questions)

Question 19

Operant conditioning – Q. 10 (Prep guide #7)

Answer 19

• Delay weakens consequences of reinforcement/punishment
• Uncertainty weakens consequences
• Certainty strengthens consequences
• Making decisions
• Study hard now or know less later
• Work out now or be in bad shape later

Question 20

Operant conditioning – Q.11 (Prep Guide #7)

Answer 20

• Consequences
• Primary – consequences that are biologically important
• Ex: food, sleep, water, etc.

Question 21

Operant conditioning – Q.11 (Prep Guide #7)

Answer 21

• Secondary – consequences that become consequences because they are paired with already established consequences
• Ex: money
• Can eventually use secondary consequences on their own
• Secondary consequences need to be paired with the primary consequences every so often